All Hallow's Eve
by gingeringfigs
Summary: It all began 15 years ago. Now after 15 years, an encounter by the Red Sakura Tree, signals a beginning of changes and hope. Sora, are you ready? ON HIATUS Sorry readers. :
1. All Hallow's Eve 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It's Square-Enix and Disney's.

Title: All Hallow's Eve

Rating: PG

Summary: It all began 15 years ago. Now after 15 years, an encounter signals a beginning of changes and hope.

* * *

All Hallow's Eve 

A small coffin was laid to rest in the black soil underneath a sakura tree festooned with cherry-red flowers on a dreary grey day. Only five people were present at the funeral; a priest, a doctor, the grave-digger and two disconsolate parents who clutched each other for support in their grief. The priest quietly did the rituals before the grave-digger went to work. Laboriously, he shoveled lump by lump of the moist soil into the hole. The soft thud of soil hitting the coffin and the shuffling of the gravedigger were the only sounds that broke the solemn silence for a long time. The final pat of a shovelful of soil landing into the grave was like a gunshot. The funeral was over. The doctor regretfully offered his condolences to the couple before leaving hurriedly. The grave-digger and the priest left shortly after. Alone, the couple stood at the grave with a small stone marker which had no engravings. The mother let out a heaving sob and she knelt. She touched the fresh black soil and left a lock of her hair clasped within a silver locket. Still weeping, the lady left with her stoic husband and drove away from the cemetery. Only the mournful sound of the wind blowing was heard.

* * *

"BOO!" Both Hayner and Sora shouted at the top of their voices, startling the girls. Riku and Pence followed behind; amused by the duo's antics. Grinning widely, Hayner, the werewolf, plonked the large bucket brimming with all sorts of candies on the table as Vampire Sora asked eagerly, "What did you get?!? Look at that mother lode of SWEETS we got!" Rolling her eyes, Angel Kairi placed a similiar bucket of sweets on the table. Olette was going as a witch and Namine was a ghost while Riku was a mummy and Pence, Frankenstein.

"Yes, yes, Sora, we did get a LOT of sweets. We girls, don't want to lose either!" All three girls cracked a smile.

"ALRIGHT! Let's count the sweets and see which side has the most number of sweets!" Hayner eagerly rubbed his "paws". Yup, it was All Hallow's Eve and all the kids were out in the streets of the small town, collecting sweets from door to door. It was going to be a night of revelry and hijinks. They quickly got to work on the sweets and minutes later; it was determined that the boys had lost. Sora's bat wings seemingly drooped in disappointment as the boys groaned.

"Aaaawww NO!" Olette sweetly smiled and said, "You guys haven't forgotten the bet, have you?" Kairi giggled as Namine softly smiled. Riku grimaced.

"Yes, we haven't. The losers have to go to the sakura tree in the center of the cemetery and take a sakura flower each at night."

"BINGO!" Kairi and Olette chorused.

"Ugh, we better get going before the witching hour comes!" Pence shuddered, looking comical in his frankenstein costume. The boys looked at each other and as one, they prepared to move. "Wait! Before you leave, I've got a story to tell." Namine finally spoke up. Hayner fidgeted, clearly anxious to get the bet over and done with. Sora smiled, revealing his fangs and agreed; "Alright! Halloween wouldn't be complete without a spooky tale anyway. Let's listen first." Namine smiled in thanks and took a deep breath before launching her tale.

"On a full moon, when the clock strikes midnight, it is said to be the witching hour. Now listen, the sakura tree in the cemetery has red flowers because it is sucking in the blood of the corpses around it. In the witching hour, the sakura tree will grow a single white flower. This flower is said to be the sakura tree spirit's benediction because the sound of the wind blowing through the branches of the tree sounds like the wailing of a lost child. If you are able to pluck the flower, something _disastrous_ will happen. For example, a boyfriend plucked the flower for his girlfriend but was killed in a car crash a week later. So whatever you do, don't pick the _white flower_!" Namine's voice suddenly peaked at the end, successfully spooking out the rest of the group. Wide-eyed, Pence squeaked,

"Can I do another forfeit, please?"

"If you do, then you have to dress up as girls tomorrow." Olette immediately replied. Pence hesitated. Then he agreed. The rest of the guys incredulously stared at him. Flustered, Pence explained. "Hey, I would rather be safe than be sorry! What Namine said, isn't the only story about the Sakura Tree! My mom said to never go near the Sakura Tree at night because there's a vengeful nameless ghost who will take your soul if you provoke its displeasure."

At this, Hayner jerked as if recalling a nasty memory. "Oh yeah, my pa also said something about a devil inhabiting the sakura tree! He was once attacked by a supernatural force there and gained a scar from it." He pointed to his left eye where his father had a scar. "Er, I think I'm gonna go with Pence on this."

"...Okaaayyy. So what about you two? Are you going to chicken out?" Olette pouted. Sora jumped up and said, "That's silly! My parents say that the stories about the Sakura Tree are false! Whatever spirits there may be, they are definitely not hostile. Perhaps, like Pence said, they had been provoked in the first place. So if I pay respect first, I might be even be able to pluck the white flower without coming to harm." He stood straight with his jaw jutting out stubbornly.

"There's also no way I would dress up as a GIRL! EEW." He added with an emphatic cringe.

"Riku?"

"I'll go with Sora to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Like him , I also have no desire to lay myself open to ridicule." Riku smirked. "Have fun, _girls_." Hayner flushed bright red but he remained seated. ("_HEY! I'M SO NOT A GIRL!_") Kairi hollered after them, "Good luck, Sora, Riku! Be careful." They both waved back in acknowledgement. Kairi then turned to her twin sister, Namine. "Where did you hear that story? I never knew of it!" Namine only smiled and cryptically said, "There's magick in the air tonight."

* * *

The cemetery was located near the church of Twilight Town. Riku checked his watch the moment they arrived at the gate of the cemetery. "It's ten minutes to midnight. We better hurry if we want to get the sakura flowers. Hey, Sora, what are you _doing_?" Sora was muttering under his breath as he closed his eyes in preparation for the trip through the graveyard to the Sakura Tree. "...give me luck. Thanks." He took out a flashlight from his pocket and grinned at Riku, "Just mentally prepping myself!" Riku shook his head at Sora's quirkiness in amusement. Readying himself, Riku gave the command. "Ready? Then let's go!" Together, they climbed over the padlocked gate and quickly, surreptitiously, made their way to the center of the cemetry where the Sakura Tree lay. "Last person to the Tree is a ZOMBIE!" Sora crowed.

Even without the aid of the flashlight, they would still have been able to find their way to the center of the cemetry due to the pale, silvery light of the full moon. The full moon shone down on the path before him, as if guiding him to the Sakura Tree. Listening to the crashing and cursing behind him, Sora gleefully realised that Riku had somehow taken a wrong turn. Oh well, he was going to win the race anyway! Sora finally burst into the clearing and the Sakura Tree loomed majestically before him. Tall and stately, the red sakura flowers were in full bloom. No, Sora wasn't interested in any of those. He wanted to pluck the white flower Namine had spoken off. Loping to the base of the tree, he remembered his mother's words;

_" If you ever go to the Sakura Tree, pray at the stone lying beneath the tree." _

Carefully looping around the base of the large tree, he searched for the stone that his mother had mentioned. After making one round, he still didn't find anything so he decided to go another round...and he tripped over a root. Falling flat on his face, Sora finally found the stone before him. It was concealed among the gnarled roots of the Sakura Tree. Smiling, Sora carefully dusted off the stone and patted it gently in an apology. Oh dear, what did he have to offer to the stone if that was how prayers were supposed to go? He patted his pockets for any items of value, candies, knick knacks, anything! But his pockets were empty. Argh. Oh wait, maybe the flashlight would work! Feeling distinctly foolish, Sora placed the flashlight in front of the stone and said, "I offer you this flashlight which helped me find my way here. May this please you and earn your permission to let me pluck one of the sakura flowers. Um, it would be really nice if I could pick the white one too. Thanks, Oh Great Spirit of the Sakura Tree." Then he waited for some sign of permission granted.

He waited, and waited, and waited but there seemed to be no sign of supernatural occurence. "BAH! Why should I have to wait when Riku might get here before I get to pick the flower? Man, that was a waste of a perfectly good flashlight!" Grumbling, Sora left the torch behind out of respect for his mother and turned to climb the tree. He made it to the first lower branch of the tree and clambered onto the limb. He was about to climb further up when a chime resounded in the distance. A strong wind blew and sakura petals were all in a flurry around him. He raised a hand to protect his face and the sound of the whistling wind in his ears seemed to last for an eternity. The tree limb lurched dangerously and Sora swore. And, just as quick as it had appeared, the gale was gone, a dying breeze that caressed Sora's face. Slowing opening eyes he had somehow closed during the past few minutes; Sora found himself in a strange new land.

Concealed by the branches of the Sakura Tree, he belatedly realised that the colour of the flowers were white instead of red. No gravestones, colourful brightly-lit lamps in all shapes, and people wearing costumes which suspiciously looked too real. "Hey, what are you doing up here?" A boisterous voice curiously asked beside him. Dazed, he turned and saw a red-haired head...with no body. Jaw dropping, Sora stared at the head for a long while before it became impatient and belligerently asked, "Well??? Why are you hiding in the Sakura Tree when you should be down here taking part in the festivities?!?" Sora whimpered and proceeded to manly pass out.

* * *

A/N: Please review and thank you for reading. 


	2. All Hallow's Eve 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It's Square-Enix and Disney's.

Title: All Hallow's Eve

Rating: PG

Summary: It all began 15 years ago. Now after 15 years, an encounter signals a beginning of changes and hope.

A/N: It's becoming a monster storyline. OO This is sooooo not what I had in mind.

* * *

Chapter 2 

Sora slowly awoke to the noise of two voices squabbling near him. His head hurt and the room spun as he tried to sit up. Urgh, bad idea. So he laid down and tried to understand the conversation.

"...I thought he was you at first, Nanashi. He looks exactly like you except without the blonde hair." The red-haired head; this time with a body; explained. Nanashi would not be easily placated as he hissed;

"He's an _alive_ person! You know that he shouldn't be here and if _they _find out, he's going to be devoured. In the worst-case scenario, we would be thrown to the void for harbouring an alive person. You just got us into deep trouble, Axel." Sora realised that his voice was very, very, very similiar to his own and he was completely bewildered. _Devoured? Alive? What the hell was going here? Where was this person, Nanashi? _Sora couldn't see Nanashi anywhere.

"Hey, he was up in that Sakura Tree. As you know, the Sakura Tree is a sentient being and has the power to cross the boundary between this dimension and the living world. There must be a reason for his presence here. We have to _protect _him." Sighing in resignation, Nanashi finally materialized; sitting in a chair. Sora jolted as he took in Nanashi's appearance. Axel was right, Nanashi was practically a _doppelganger! _How _cool/bizaare_ was that?!? He gasped.

The small sound caught both their attention. Axel grinned and apologised to Sora; "Sorry about earlier. I didn't realise that my appearance would have scared you so much so that you fell out of the Sakura Tree." Ah, so that explained why his head hurt. Hey, wait, wait, **WAIT**. Sora quickly backtracked to that incident and blanched.

"YOU! THAT WAS REAL!??" He squawked, sitting upright on the bed. Amused, Axel took off his head and spun it on a finger like a basketball. "Yeah, you aren't in Kansas anymore, Dorothy." Sora turned green at the grotesque sight. Rolling his eyes, Nanashi flicked his fingers and Axel's head went bouncing on the floor. "Stop it, Axel. You're only freaking him out even more."

Axel's headless body gave him the middle finger and went on the floor, blindly searching for the head. "Oh, F YOU, NANASHI! I told you to stop doing that earlier!" Axel's voice whined in a dusty corner of the room. "Oh god, the dust! AACHOO!" Beatifically smiling, Nanashi turned to Sora and asked;

"What's your name? I hope you're feeling better now."

"Oh, I'm Sora Turngale. So just _where_ am I now?" Sora finally recollected his composure and curiously asked Nanashi. It was very strange speaking to someone who had his face. Nanashi summoned a glass of a green glowing liquid and passed it to Sora.

"Well, if you were listening the last few minutes, you are currently in the Spirit World, in my apartment. If not, Axel's untimely demonstration should have made that clear to you. Drink it, it will relieve the pain."

Sora took the glass and suspiciously looked at the fluorescent liquid before drinking it. It was viscuous but tasted sweet. He immediately felt delicious, warm tingles spreading over his body and the pain in his head was drowned beneath the pleasant sensations. He moaned. "Ooooh, that feels sooo good! What is this DRINK?" It defintely was right up there with the hot chocolate his mother made! Nanashi laughed and cast the empty glass into oblivion with another flick of his fingers.

"It's Ambrosia but it's incredibly expensive so don't get hurt too quickly. There's only so much I can afford here. Anyway, I need to know a few things before I can help you go back to your world. Do you mind?"

"Go ahead."

"Ok, hold on, this might hurt." Nanashi reached and cupped Sora's face before pressing his forehead to Sora's. He looked deep into Sora's blue eyes and Sora looked back into mirror reflections of brilliant blue. Then there was a twisting in their perception which made Sora feel vaguely nauseous and a flood of forgotten and remembered memories filled the space between Sora and Nanashi. A sparkling rainbow of jewel colours; the stream of memories twisted in the air as if unsure of its direction. Nanashi tapped his fingers on Sora's temples and the colourful river plunged into both Sora's and Nanashi's chests. They both gasped as they stimultaneously experienced events of each other's life.

* * *

_Mom, why do you look so sad when you see me? Why isn't Dad here? TELL ME, MOM!_

* * *

_Who am I? Why am I her? What's my name? I...can't remember at all... Am I just a** Nobody**?_

* * *

_A recurring dream of someone in a field of yellow flowers. Separated by a river and the sun's bright. You can't see his face but you know that you know him. Why is he over there? He should be here. You step into the cold water and the current's strong. You shiver but you wade across. You go deeper and deeper into the river but the distance seems to increase the further you go. You open your mouth to shout but water rapidly fills your mouth and you choke. You slip and you are grasped by the river. You flail for air and you look up, seeing through the water a bloody sky. The person across the river hasn't seen, heard or moved to help you. Betrayed, you sink and you wake._

* * *

_A memory of yourself alone in an empty field of yellow flowers. The day's ridiculously bright and cheery. You hate it. You look back at the river and you wish the river gone. You once woke up next to the river and did not know yourself. Only the silver locket with a lock of brown hair in it is your clue. You have tried countless times to cross the river but always failed. Clenching your hands so hard that your hands bleed, you remember the painful, cold attempts that always found you back at the same bank where you started. Your quest to find yourself across the river ends today. You look away from the silvery river to the horizon and you start walking. For a moment, you thought you heard a plea for help but you think it's a figment of your imagination. Shaking your head, you walk away with resolve and the faint feeling of regret._

* * *

_Hi! My name's Kairi! What's your name? Oh, Sora, is it? That's a great name! Come, I'll introduce you to my friends..._

* * *

_Wotcha, kid! You lost? What, you don't have a name and can't remember it? Hmm, I know! I'll call you Nanashi which means, "No Name". You can use it till you remember your name! Nice to meet you, I'm Axel. Got it memorized, yet?_

* * *

_You see yourself appear in a chair and you are shocked. But you get the feeling, you know that person. The realization that you are in a strange, new place, with possibly, no way of getting back home, washes away your connection to** him.**_

* * *

_You see yourself being carried in by Axel, limp and unconscious. You feel a fleeting sense of worry and stranger still, jealousy towards Axel? The realization that the person is from the Living World both excites and angers you as it rouses the first memory of your life in this detestable world. You accept those feelings as they are easier to deal with the unfamiliar feeling of connection and closeness to **him**._

* * *

With a loud inhalation of precious oxygen, Nanashi quickly broke the spell by breaking contact. Wide-eyed and flushed, he stared at Sora with an unreadable expression on his face before disappearing despite Axel's concerned questions. Sora panted for breath as he limply laid against the headboard. Drenched in sweat and mentally exhausted, Sora couldn't and wouldn't say anything about the arduous experience. Axel sat on the bed; having successfully retrieved his head and quirked an eyebrow at Sora's distressed state. "I've never seen Nanashi so upset before. What was it in your memories that disturbed him, I wonder?" He had no idea of what had actually happened, assuming that both of them had seen only Sora's memories. Sora turned on his side and weakly muttered, 

"Can I have another Ambrosia?"

"Sorry, if you take too many Ambrosias within a short period of time, you could be adversely affected. But you can drink a Hi-Potion instead." Axel whisked out a flask of blue liquid and dropped it into Sora's hands. "Wait here and don't go outside. I'm going to look for Nanashi. Got it memorized?" Axel left the room and quietly closed the door with a click. Sora only looked at the flask and remained silent.

* * *

Axel walked down the street away from Nanashi's apartment and navigated his way through the convoluted streets of the city to the Sakura Tree at the edge of the city. At the foot of the tree, he looked up and saw Nanashi sitting on a branch, the same branch Sora had sat on, Axel absently noticed. Axel couldn't see his face. He hollered, "You should have come out here last night. It was really spectacular with all those colourful lamps and spirits." 

"Shut up. I told you that I didn't want to go."

Axel did a little run and leapt up the tree, sitting next to Nanashi who morosely looked over the city walls to the horizon. Looking in the same direction, Axel nudged Nanashi to respond;

"Something went wrong with the spell, right? I suppose it could be because Sora's from the Living World so the spells might have a different effect?"

"Yes...and no. I knew that the spell might backfire, considering Turngale's constitution. However, the spell actually worked. But it was _too _successful. It wasn't just Sora's memories that were displayed, Axel." Nanashi lifted a hand and pointed to the horizon where a river winding through the meadow of yellow flowers could be seen.

"My memories were also displayed. However, it wasn't only that. It appears that Turngale has been here before. Just before I met you, Axel. He saw _me _at the River Styx several times. That...scares me a lot."

"Woah. So Sora arrived here before...If he saw you there in the past, then he could be your other connection to your identity and past. After all, he looks just like you, Nanashi." Axel seriously suggested; knowing Nanashi well after knowing him for ten years. Nanashi grasped the silver locket he wore beneath his robes.

"You could be right. But for now, I just would like to know how and why Turngale's here in the first place. And help him go back to his world." Nanashi's lips quivered in a faint smile. Axel grinned and slapped Nanashi's back.

"Atta boy, now let's go back and help Sora back to his world."

* * *

While Axel had gone searching for Nanashi, Sora finally opened the flask and drank the cool liquid. The effects were slower and less intense but he was grateful for the soothing it brought to his mind. Mind clear of troubling memories and thoughts, Sora decided to explore his new surroundings. Stepping outside of the small bedroom, he observed that the apartment was very much like those in the Living World albeit without the technology. Oh yeah, in this Spirit World, you could do magic so you wouldn't need the technology! Feeling decidedly cheerier and excited about his new situation, Sora happily wandered over to the kitchen and searched for food. He was absolutely famished! 

Opening the pantries, he was fascinated to see that some of the pantries had been charmed to stay cold to preserve the contents while others were spelled to increase its inner capacity for contents despite the outer appearances of limited space. Cool! Sora was so intrigued by his new surroundings that he nearly forgot his hunger. His starved stomach quickly made the decision for him. He grabbed what looked like blue ice-cream on sticks from one of the "cold" pantries and nervously nibbled at one. "OH!" The sweet-salty taste hit his taste buds and the minty flavour tantalized his palate. The icy treat was incredibly refreshing and Sora swore that he could feel his brain tingle from the high-sugar rush. Inhibitions about suspiciously posionous-looking food gone, Sora guzzled the rest of the icy treats down. Whoops, he was feeling really high and disgustingly happy and content and oooh was that a bird?

Thus, Nanashi saw a scene of a happily-drugged/drunk Sora giggling on a sofa with a huge pile of used ice-cream sticks next to him the moment he teleported home. Aghast, he waited for Axel to return. "Argh, one day, I shall learn how to teleport! What's the matter, Nanashi? Oh."

"MY. SEA-SALT. ICE-CREAM'S. ALL. **GONE**." Sora noticed them and staggered drunkenly off from the sofa to them. He stumbled a few times and on one occasion, nearly fell over. Standing in front of a distraught Nanashi, bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked, Sora cocked his head and curiously asked in a childlike voice,

"Why are you upset, Nana..Shi?" Looking at Sora, Nanashi's initial shock and anger faded away. It was hard to be angry with him when he was so...innocent. Axel chortled behind him.

"Nevermind, it's nothing. Were you hungry?"

"Oh yes, I was! I wasn't sure what was safe to eat soooo I picked those! They were realllyy yuuummy! Were they yours? I'm sorry that I didn't leave any for you." Sora fluttered his hands in an induced excitement and shyly looked at Nanashi. Nanashi smiled in amusement.

"Nah, it's ok. I should have known you would be hungry."

"YAY! I LOVE YOU." Sora jumped forward and wrapped Nanashi in a hug and kissed him on the cheek. Axel choked on his surprised laughter and his head fell off. Nanashi was mortified and face burning, he quickly cast a sobering spell on Sora while gently prying him off.

"Bwuh? Where am I? Oh you're back! Ah!!! Are you ok, Nanashi? You look like you've got a fever!" Axel laughed and laughed as his body shook on the floor with laughter. Nanashi wished very sincerely at the moment for the floor to open up and swallow him. That which it did.

* * *

A/N: Please review and thank you for reading. 

P.S. If you wish to read more, the rest is at my livejournal. You can find a link in my profile.. kinda...


	3. All Hallow's Eve 3

**All Hallow's Eve 3**

The glamour made Sora appear like a kitsune with a glossy dark furred tail with a shock of white at the tip and large brown ears nestled among his brown spiky hair. The pupils of his bright blue eyes had become slitted and when Sora smiled, sharp canines gleamed. "Wow! This looks even better than my vampire costume did. This is great!" Admiring his new disguise in a mirror, Sora attempted to make his tail move. It did a little wriggle. Delighted, Sora bestowed a thankful smile on Nanashi. "Thanks for agreeing to let me see the city."

* * *

Ok, let's backtrack a couple of minutes back. As soon as Axel recovered from his merriment and Nanashi was persuaded from his sanctuary, they got down to business. Being the resident Mage, Nanashi rapidly outlined his theory as they sat around a table.

"From what I've seen, Sora Turngale activated the spell by giving an offering of a torch to the Sakura Tree at midnight. I think that if he repeats the same actions at the same time and place, he might be able to reactivate the spell and go home." Still disturbed by the prior experience, Nanashi tactfully didn't speak of Sora's memories and his own. Looking at the plan glowing in the air, Axel interjected;

"That makes sense. But how's Sora going to get his hands on a torch? Besides, last night was the only time the heartless weren't around. There's no guarantee that they won't appear tonight."

Steepling his fingers in front of him, Nanashi carefully explained for the benefit of both Sora and Axel. "Aha, the offering doesn't have to be the same. As long as it has some meaning to the person, the spell will still work. The principle of Equivalent Trade comes into play. As for the heartless, well, Axel, you be the guard."

"OOOOIII! Leaving me with the grunt work! You're horrible." Axel mildly protested. "Any further questions, Turngale?"

"Please call me Sora! You make me sound positively decrepit...I just realized that my family and friends must be freaaking over my disappearance by now! What's the time difference?!?" And that took Sora only a day to realize this? Nanashi was _amazed_. Sarcastically, he said;

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe by now, a couple of years might already have passed and they forgot about you...then it wouldn't be worth the trouble of sending you back." Sora looked distressed at the thought. Heart strings tugged at the sight, Nanashi finally took pity on him.

"Time doesn't have an effect here. It's only our perceptions that change. If I were to send you back right now, it would be at the same time you left."

"...I think I get it now. So what do we do now? Until midnight, that is?"

"Why, go SHOPPING! You need to get something to offer to the Tree, doncha?" Axel declared gleefully.

"NO, Axel. It's a very very very BAD idea for Sora to be outside! I'm not having him killed on my watch!" A vehement protest from Nanashi drew a puzzled look from Sora. Charging on, he reminded Axel of the dangers, the rules, et cetera of letting a live person in the world.

"...With his life force practically a supernova, it's going to attract the attention of even the blind, much less the heartless! Besides, he smells positively tempting to anyone too. The only place he's safe, is behind my wards. It's out of question for him to be out at all. " Ending his impassioned rant, Nanashi ran a hand through his blond hair, making it spike up even more. Bemused, Sora found it quite fascinating to see yourself let loose in a volcanic eruption. He'd never gotten that mad before. Seeing the opportunity to input his opinion, he quietly suggested;

"Can you cast a disguise spell with wards on me? Axel's right; I need to look for a suitable item for the sacrifice. Besides, it would be nice to explore the place."

Combined with large, glimmering blue eyes at full blast, Nanashi fumbled for a few moments; opening and closing his mouth for further protests. He lost. Protests dying in his throat, he agreed with a final warning. "...O-ok. As long as you don't break the spell!"

* * *

So now, the trio were out exploring the streets of Hallow Town. Tail wagging behind him, Sora stared with wonderment as passerbys in all sorts of sizes and shapes walked by. A fellow kitsune with cream fur nodded a greeting at Sora. Ahead, Axel started to spin his head on a finger as he led the way. Wide-eyed, Sora turned to his side where Nanashi kept a lookout for enemies.

"It's so wonderful and AMAZING! Man, I can't wait till I die to fully explore this place." The morbid statement had Nanashi frowning; "Why would you want to die? Despite what it looks like to you, it's still Hell." Now that also had Sora perturbed.

"Hell? I thought this was the Spirit World?"

"Spirit World is just the neutral name to all newcomers so as to prevent any _accidents_. You wouldn't want to know that you are now doomed to remain in this miserable place for eternity when you first arrive, would you? All dead people, spirits, ghouls and all kinds finally end up here in this place. In one way or other, they still remember their last moments in the Living Plane. As far as I recall, I've always been here." Nanashi bitterly answered. Tail stilling, Sora glanced at his doppelganger who was so bitter and sad. Fleetingly, he recalled the memories he shared with Nanashi.

"Well, but now, you have my memories! So you know what it's like in the Living Plane, through me. Likewise, I can say that I've always been here through you. So don't be sad anymore, Nanashi." Looking forward again, Sora shouted to Axel to slow down. Unconsciously, his tail had bent down to wrap around Nanashi's wrist and gently tugged him forward in his surprise. The illusionary but warm feeling of the tail wrapped around his wrist and Sora's kind words made Nanashi smile. He quickened his pace to match Sora's as they walked together in the crowded street.

Axel finally stopped his juggling trick and placed his head back on. The trio had arrived at the Bazaar in the City Square. Aromatic smells of spices, candies, sweet meats, and countless foods floated in the steamy air and make Sora's mouth water. Trinkets that clinked together to produce a bell-like chime were abound while explosions of multi-coloured sparks marked a Mage's store. Loud and fierce haggling, even in foreign languages, peppered the bustling atmosphere of what seemed like a Renaissance Fair.

"That's amazing!" Sora whispered in awe. "It's so different from the markets at home. I'm so glad that you agreed to let me go out, Nanashi!" Distracted by a sudden flare of magic to the left of him, Sora didn't hear Nanashi say;

"No, it's I who should say thank you, Sora..."

"Hey, guys! Come over here. i think this might be what you need." Axel hollered, waving to them a few stalls away where illusions of all kinds hovered and constantly twisted form. Hurrying over, Sora and Nanashi finally saw what Axel was talking about. On the rickety table before them, there were all sorts of beautifully carved amulets laid out. Hesitantly, Sora reached out and touched an amulet carved from iridescent material into the shape of a _paopu_ fruit. He felt a spark leap from the amulet into his fingertips and startled, he snatched his fingers away. Rubbing his fingers ruefully, he questioned,

"What are they exactly?"

"Hohoho, you've got good instincts, my boy. You picked out a good protective charm." A jovial disembodied voice chuckled. Fox ears lying flat against his skull, Sora involuntarily snarled; the animal instincts of his glamour taking over for a brief moment. Nanashi soothingly stroked his tail which was still wrapped around his wrist.

"I suppose you're going on a journey, lad, if you chose that one." The necklace Sora had touched floated up from the table and drifted toward the shadowy recesses of the stall. Moments later, a white-bearded wizard, with a twinkle in his eye, and dressed in long flowing blue robes, came out with the _paopu _amulet clutched in his hand.

"Merlin. Good to see you again." Axel acknowledged him. "This whippersnapper is in need of your services." Turning to the twins, Axel left some parting words in a light tone;

"Alright, you two look after yourselves now. I need to take care of some business before tonight. See ya later." With a jaunty wave, he disappeared into the crowd. "See you later then." Nanashi replied as soon as Axel's distinctive red hair disappeared from view. "Hmm, that young gentleman seems troubled...but aside from that, you are needing my services?" Merlin remarked as he stroked his long white beard. Sora opened his mouth to answer but found Nanashi's hand muffling his voice.

"MMph!"

"My friend needs an amulet; a powerful one that will allow him to travel long distances."

"Right, right, right. I guess this one will do? It's made from the scale of a dragon." Merlin held out a fiery red stone carved into the shape of two twining serpents curled into a coil. Nanashi's eyes lit up at the sight. He took the offer;

"Yes, that's what we need, Merlin. How much will it be?" Merlin took back the pendant and began to wrap it in red silk embroidered with oriental patterns. Pushing his spectacles up his large nose, Merlin muttered,

"Oh that will be very very expensive...since it comes from the Far East and was made from a Dragon's scale. Hmmhmm..It will be about 50, 000 Gil." Sora choked in surprise at the astronomical figure. He tugged at Nanashi's sleeve and murmured;

"I think we better go elsewhere. I don't think you can afford such an expensive item. It's already enough that you're helping me..." Nanashi just smirked and launched into a haggling debate with Merlin.

"10, 000 Gil!"

"40,000."

"15,000"

"30, 000. I'm not going lower than that, young man." Merlin peered over his half-moon spectacles at Nanashi. Smiling, he fished out a bag of golden coins that clinked as he placed it on the table.

"Done." He held out his hand and the package was placed in his hand. The business exchange was all done in just a few minutes as Sora was left bewildered by the rapid negeotiations. Ensuring the package was secured away safely, Nanashi said,

"Let's go and have something to eat. We're done."

"Oh, ok!" Just as Sora was about to follow Nanashi, Merlin stopped him. "Wait, keep this with you." He pressed a small item into Sora's palm and he felt tingles spreading from the item. Looking down at his palm, Sora saw the _paopu_ fruit amulet he had touched earlier. Puzzled, he asked the shopkeeper,

"Why are you giving me this for free?"

"There's something very special about you that can't be hidden by the wards and disguises wrapped around you." Stiffening in surprise, Sora went on the defensive.

"Oh no, don't worry. I don't have any ulterior motives towards you. But as soon as I saw both of you, I realised that there was more to it than just both of you being coincidental lookalikes. You've made Nanashi more alive than any other time I've seen him before. I'm sure that your arrival into this world wasn't just a coincidence...So, my dear boy, take this amulet with you. It''ll protect you from harm. All the best for your endeavours." With a kind smile, Merlin retreated into the back of the shop and left Sora bemused. Nanashi had finally realised that Sora wasn't with him and dashed back to the store.

"Sora! Stay with me at all times! Otherwise, I don't know what might happen to you." Annoyed at his twin's absence, Nanashi noticed the _paopu _amulet. "Uh, why is that amulet with you?" Embarassed, Sora quickly put on the amulet and tucked it under his shirt; answering,

"Oh, Merlin wanted to give it to me for free. He also said some random things and wouldn't let me leave! I'm sorry for not warning you. Exasperation mingling with relief, Nanashi grabbed Sora's hand and dragged him out of the Bazaar to a quieter place.

"Fine, just warn me the next time, alright? So what do you feel like eating?" Sora brightened at the thought of food and his tail waved happily.

"Oh I don't know! The blue ice-cream was really good though but I feel like eating a proper savoury meal. I'm starrrving."

"Really? I know a good place we can eat then. The blue ice-cream is one of my favourite treats; sea-salt ice-cream. But i didn't expect you would actually get high on them. I suppose it's because you are of a different constitution from most others here." Nanashi lightly bantered back. Sora winced at the memory.

"Did I do anything really really embarrassing while I was drunk off them?"

"Er..." Nanashi was mortified to feel his cheeks burn as he remembered the drunken declaration and kiss.

"I knew IT! I did something really EMBARRASSING. Won't you tell meeee?" Sora pleaded.

"It's nothing very much..." Nanashi muttered, avoiding Sora's gaze. Sora wouldn't be put off and kept badgering Nanashi to reveal the secret. That day, Nanashi discovered a previously unknown depth of sheer stubbornness to rival Sora's own as he evaded Sora's attempts to discover the secret. He chuckled at Sora's frustration as he led the way through the city. The day was already looking up for once.


	4. All Hallow's Eve 4

**All Hallow's Eve 4**

The full moon shone brightly and caused the white sakura flowers to have an ethereal glow. This subtle difference drove the fact that Sora wasn't home anymore in the way words didn't. Nanashi had teleported all of them to the base of the large Sakura Tree for fear of contacting any "Heartless" roaming the streets. Sora had yet to see one, but from Axel's grim expression and the large chakrams he held in his hands, he decided that he was better off not knowing. "Hurry up, Sora. I'm not sure how long my cloaking spell will prevent the heartless from noticing us." Nanashi's urgent reminder had Sora taking out the red stone of his pocket and placing it at the base of the tree. Nanashi's face had a pinched, tired expression which told volumes about the difficulty of holding the cloaking spell. Sora hurried.

Sora chanted under his breath; "Oh Great Spirit of the Sakura Tree, let this stone please you and grant me permission to use you as a portal to go home." Well, that was that. The only thing left to do was to climb the Tree like he did last night. Climbing the tree and clambering over the tree limb, Sora waited for a wind to pick up on this still windless night.

Looking down, he could make out Axel's maroon hair and Nanashi's silvery-blonde hair that shone in the moonlight. Clasping the paopu amulet beneath his clothes, Sora was somehow reluctant to leave. Today had been arguably the best day of his life with someone who not only looked like him but was a matching half to his being. Sora had never met anyone like Nanashi and he was very sure that he would never meet another person like him in the Living Plane. Morose over this prospect, a tiny part of Sora's more rational self not-so-gently reminded him;

"_Idiot! You know that he's not like you. He belongs here and you belong to the Living World. You would have to leave this world sooner or later anyway."_

_"But...I...he...it feels wrong to leave somehow. I feel like I've known him forever."_

_"..." _The voice fell silent in the face of the truth. Looking past the sakura flowers, Sora looked the starless sky. The wind hadn't appeared yet and the leaves didn't even quiver. Something was wrong.

* * *

Below, Nanashi watched Sora ascend the tree with mixed feelings. He was happy and relieved for Sora as he would be finally going home, to where he belonged. On the other hand, a deep loneliness and regret was pervasively seeping in; chilling his bones. He desperately clung onto the warmth of Sora's memories and the memories they created together today. Only for a moment, he spitefully wished that Sora would stay just a bit longer. Axel shifted restlessly next to him as he kept his weapons close at hand.

"Something's wrong, Nanashi. The wind hasn't appeared which means Sora's still here. Did the spell not wor-LOOK OUT!" A shadowy creature with yellow eyes leapt from the long shadows on the ground for Nanashi. Acting quickly, Axel threw a flame whip at the heartless and it burst into dark tendrils. More took its place.

"Dammnit! The cloaking spell must have expired." Nanashi realized as he began casting offensive spells at the flood of heartless. At the same time, he started weaving a shield around both Axel and himself for protection. Axel hurled a chakram at the black mass, cutting a swathe through them and on the way back, cut another swathe. Moments later, the empty space was filled with heartless again. Nanashi cast a lightning spell at the group that was coming too near for his own comfort. Lightning crackling, a considerable number of the enemies were decimated but were again rapidly replaced with even more.

"I've never seen so many heartless appearing at once before!" Axel tersely bit out as he dodged a stray attack from one heartless that managed to get too close. He rapidly ran through it with a spike on his chakram and it burst into foul tendrils.

"Do you think there's something attracting them here?"

"SHIT. SORA! He's the one who's bringing them here! He's still up in the tree." Nanashi shouted in horror. He threw a worried glance up the tree to where Sora was.

"We better hold them off before the spell takes effect."

"Right, the only question is how long we can hold out against them." They jumped back into the skirmish with earnest.

Hearing loud commotion below, Sora tore his eyes away from the sky and witnessed a sea of teeming black shadows dotted with glowing malevolent yellow eyes surrounding the other two people. Every now and then, colourful sparks erased large patches of the horde and a silvery weapon flew through the sea, cutting down the masses. However, as Sora watched from above, the patches seem to close quickly as if the attacks had no effect. The heartless were here. Sora finally realised why Axel was looking so grim tonight as he saw the difficulty both Nanashi and Axel were having in keeping them away from the tree. It just wasn't FAIR that he couldn't do anything to help. Beating the tree limb in frustration, Sora helplessly looked on.

Casting so many spells in a row was having a toll on him. Magic came slower and having to constantly dodge was wearing out his concentration. He finally hit rock bottom and had no more power to draw on. In which case, the protective shields he had wove earlier flickered rapidly and phased out. Shit. Having no choice, Nanashi fell to using martial arts. He punched through a heartless and narrowly avoided getting his head cut off by the claws of a heartless. Unable to stop for breath, he ducked and spun into a round house kick that temproarily cleared a circle around him. It was a futile effort as only more heartless appeared. In comparison, Axel was dealing with the situation far better than he was with his deadly chakrams and fire. The heartless howled.

A heartless sneaked up behind him and swiped at him with large claws. Caught unawares, Nanashi grunted and faltered in his attacks on the heartless. Instinctively, the heartless rushed him. Laid out flat with the heartless weighing his limbs down, a heartless leapt onto his chest and aimed for his heart. Nanashi increased his struggles but to no avail. The claws swiftly, ruthlessly plunged in. He silently screamed.

"**NO**!"

Sora cried. He had heard Nanashi's silent anguished screams resonate in his head and felt, rather than saw the heartless stab his claws into Nanashi's chest. Axel hadn't seen or heard Nanashi fall; being too preoccupied with his own problems. Filled with anger and sorrow, Sora didn't notice the paopu amulet glow at first. The next moment, Sora saw the glow and quickly took off the amulet. Once it was in his hand, Sora felt the amulet change shape as the glow became too bright to look at. The glow rapidly faded and he was left with a beautiful sword in his hands. It wasn't the appropriate time to admire his new weapon. The weapon jerked and pointed below to where the heartless were. The weapon giving him strength and determination, he leapt down from the Tree and rushed over to Nanashi.

With a sweep of the blade, he got rid of the heartless near him and let his weapon move for him. This time, no heartless reappeared where the heartless were cut down by his blade but Sora didn't notice in his haste to get to Nanashi's side. He didn't pause to cut down the hateful heartless perched on Nanashi's limp body. It exploded into a shimmering mist. Stimultaneously, all the other heartless shrieked in recognition of the new threat and escaped through the shadows. Sora attempted to stab the moving shadows with yellow eyes that scuttled past him into another plane but they were too quick. Within minutes, there were no sign of the heartless being present at all. Panting with exhaustion, Axel lowered his chakrams and finally noticed the duo. Limping his way over, Axel registered the situation; Nanashi unconscious and Sora with a funky new weapon. He was too tired to even wonder about the source of Sora's weapon. The next moment, Sora's weapon flashed and disappeared into the shape of a paopu amulet. Absently, Sora pocketed the amulet; too shell-shocked to really observe his surroundings.

"Damn. Nanashi got hurt by the Heartless, wasn't he?" Hurt was an understatement. Nanashi wasn't even breathing and his face had paled with the colour of death.

"I don't know what the heartless did to him! One of them got its claws int-into Nanashi's chest. He was in such pain..." Sora's shocked and pained voice was on the verge of tears. Sniffing, he asked Axel with wide tearful eyes,

"Is he going to be ok?"

"I don't know, I don't know, Sora..." To be frank, Axel had never heard of a case where the victim's body still remained after having his heart being forcibly removed by the despicable heartless. Unless the procedure was somehow disrupted or something else was at work here... Making his decision, Axel hoisted Nanashi into his arms and curtly said,

"Nanashi's still alive somehow. Let's go home first and see to Nanashi." Wipiing away his tears, Sora mumbled,

"O-ok..."

* * *

The moment the claw entered his chest, Nanashi had felt a freezing cold so icy that it burned, flood throughout his body. Crying out from the pain, he'd spiraled into the darkness. it was a long fall in a void where no light pierced through and no sound was heard. After what seemed like an eternity, Nanashi finally landed on a beautifully stained glass floor. Picking himself up with difficulty, he realized that his wounds had disappeared. "Where am I?" His lone voice rang out into the empty space and echoed.

_...Where am I? Where am I? Where am I..._

The stained floor beneath him the only source of light , Nanashi squinted to make out the details of the floor. It was a very large mural depicting a birth and a funeral. The first scene showed two souls twined together, followed by a picture of the birth of two babies in a joyous occasion. Joy quickly turned to despair as one of the babies died; the other baby crying at the painful breaking of the soul-bond. A small bundle wrapped in pure white cloth was laid into a tiny coffin and the lid shut. The funeral took place on a grey day under a Sakura Tree, the same tree in Sora's memories; Nanashi realized. Finally, the last scene was hopeful. The souls that remained separated since birth finally came together in a briliant union. Nanashi was puzzled.

"I see that you have discovered your memories." A girlish voice spoke beside him. Startled by the sudden appearance of somebody else in the same place, Nanashi turned to see a pale girl with blond hair in a white slipdress.

"Wh-who are you?!? Where is this place?" Nanashi questioned. "What did you mean by your earlier statement? These pictures are my memories?"

"Hush. Don't speak so loudly in this sacred place of the heart. I'm Namine, nice to meet you." Namine bent down to tenderly stroke the picture of painful separation. "I'm glad that you finally got the chance to find your identity now. It's been too long that the both of you were separated." Befuddled by Namine's words, Nanashi asked,

"So. Who am I? And who is this other person you speak of?" Namine sadly smiled at Nanashi's obtuse questions.

"I see. You are still not ready to hear the truth if you cannot understand what is shown here yet. Very well, I only pray that you will wake and see the truth in the soon future before it's too late." She approached Nanashi and pushed him with incredible force over the edge of the floor.

"Wake up, Nanashi! It's time you go back to the Spirit World. Sora waits for you there, Nanashi...or should I say, _**Roxas**_. " By the time Namine finished saying her words; Nanashi was already too far away to hear his true name. With a soft glow, Namine disappeared from the Place of Memories. Only the stained glass floor gleamed in the darkness in testament to their presence.

* * *

In the Spirit World, Nanashi was put down on his bed. Fortunately, he'd started breathing again but no other signs of life were shown. Axel had already forced down a few glasses of Ambrosia into his throat but it didn't seem to be working. Nanashi remained comatose and it had already been three days. Sora sat vigil beside Nanashi's side all the time, only reluctantly leaving to cleanse himself and eat. Once, Axel offered to take turns with Sora to look after Nanashi but in Sora's firm refusal, didn't ask again. However, similarly concerned for Nanashi as a friend, he had gone out to consult Merlin on the situation. He returned with a sour expression. Nope, he had no idea of what to do to help Nanashi get better. Sora just prayed.

Fiddling with the paopu amulet, Sora distantly wondered at how he could make the powerful blade appear again. He was deeply grateful with Merlin's gift for it had proven to be of immense help. However, he wished that the charm could have protected Nanashi too. Pale and unmoving, Nanashi looked frail among the white fabric. Fleetingly, Sora recalled a blurry memory of a white clothed bundle cradled in a woman's trembling arms. Sighing, he laid his head down on the edge of the bed. As he did so, he glimpsed a silver locket peeking out from beneath Nanashi's shirt. Curious, he gently eased the locket out of Nanashi's shirt and examined it. It was very old and rusty. With difficulty, he pried open the locket and a few strands of dark brown hair the exact shade of his own hair fell out. Inside, there was a picture of two people who looked incredibly familiar and a lock of dark brown hair.

Bells ringing, he attempted to make out the blurred faces of the couple in the sepia-toned photo. A voice of conscience remarkably like Namine's spoke up, "Don't. You'll regret it if you discover their identities and subsequently Nanashi's identity. It's soley for Nanashi to find out." Flushing with guilt, he replaced the hair strands and closed the locket with an audible snap. He returned the locket to Nanashi.

"Thank you, Sora." Ok...it wasn't his conscience speaking! Wide-eyed, he turned his head to the right where the familiar voice came from.

"Namine?!? What are you doing here? How did you get here?" Sora was shocked to see a familiar face _HERE_, in this spirit world. Namine chuckled at his dumbfounded look. Politely covering her mouth to conceal her amusement, Namine waited till her amusement was past, to explain.

"I can't tell you yet. But do not fear. Nanashi will be fine. Sora, you cannot go back to the Living World just yet. There was a reason behind your arrival in this world."

"What's the reason? If I don't know it, how am I going back?" Sora asked, both relieved and worried by the news. Namine shook her head slowly and ruefully replied,

"I can't reveal much but I can tell you that in order for you to go home, you must have love."

"Love? What do you mean by that?" Namine wouldn't say anymore and stretched out a hand. She held it in front of Sora and commanded;

"Go to sleep, Sora Turngale. You shall temporarily forget that this conversation ever happened till the appropriate time. When you wake, Nanashi will wake shortly after. _Sleep._" Drowsiness taking over, Sora mumbled with great effort;

"Don't go...I still have so many questions..." before succumbing to the spell. Namine flexed her hand; the spell had taken effect much more quickly and with less resistance than expected. She smiled.

"Oh Sora. You've tired yourself out looking after Nanashi the past few days. When did you get any rest at all?" Namine stroked the peacefully slumbering Sora's head with maternal care. She bent down to press a kiss to Sora's forehead and whispered,

"Sweet dreams." Taking a final fond look at the sleeping twins, Namine dissipated into small glowing particles that faded out of sight just as Axel opened the door to Nanashi's bedroom.

"Sora! It's time to eat. Oh." Observing Sora's peaceful face, Axel's lips quirked into a small smile.

"Fine, I'll let you sleep a little more. Don't complain if you get hungry later." With that parting shot, Axel quietly closed the door, leaving the two of them to peacefully slumber in comfortable silence.


	5. All Hallow's Eve 5

**Title**: All Hallow's Eve 5

**Rating :** PG

**Summary :** The ordeal's finally over but new questions are popping up.

**All Hallow's Eve 5**

Bright sunlight spilled through the window and over the white bedsheets. It shone into Sora's closed eyes as he slept beside Nanashi. It caused him to wake slowly to unfamiliar surroundings which were gradually becoming as familiar as the walls of his home. Remembering Nanashi's state of health, his blue eyes darted to Nanashi's unconscious face.

_"Oh, he's still not awake...I wouldn't have taken the bet in the first place if someone were to get hurt in the end. How foolish of me!"  
_

Sora sadly thought. He reached out to grasp Nanashi's limp hand and aborted his attempt to grip the white sheets instead. Unable to bear looking at his twin's unconscious face, Sora looked out of the window to look at the cityscape of the Spirit World. Helplessly, he smiled and said,

"Look Nanashi, it's going to be a wonderful day, don't you think? I've got to go and thank Merlin some time soon for the charm...Do you think we could go out and explore the sights you told me about on the first day?"

Twisting the white sheets in his hands till they almost tore, his voice dropped as he finally gave in to his anxiety;

"Nanashi, when will you wake up...?"

Almost imperceptibly, Nanashi's eyelids slid open with great difficulty as if weighed down with lead; just in time to hear Sora's soft plea. He moved his hand laboriously to touch Sora's hand.

"I think that would be about now, Sora." Worn out from his ordeal, Nanashi still managed his usual wry humour as he smiled at Sora's gladly surprised face.

"So it would seem, Nanashi. I'm glad that you're ok now!"

Sora clasped Nanashi's hand in relief. Not resisting Sora's enthusiasm, an hazy picture of a sad blond girl in a white dress surfaced in Nanashi's sleepy mind. Knitting his eyebrows, he tried to recall who the girl was but she rapidly faded into the mist as he gradually became more alert. Sora drew Nanashi's atention;

"Do you need anything? I can go and get it for you."

"For starters, can you get me a Hi-potion?"

An enormous headache had settled in and Nanashi felt really, really sore; the effects of battle making themselves known. Despite that, Nanashi's pains seemed to fade away in Sora's steady presence. Sora was like a Hi-potion or rather an Ambrosia by just being himself. He looked out of the window and saw that the day was bright. He commented,

"The weather's pretty good today. Perhaps, we could go out to see the rest of the city. I still have to show you the places I mentioned before."

"Yeah. Let's do that, Nanashi." Sora softly replied. A gentle wind was blowing.

* * *

Axel was greatly relieved to see Nanashi's recovery. However, he denied the fact that he had been nearly scared out of his wits for Nanashi. So the first thing he did was to lightly cuff Nanashi's shoulder _(not the head though, he wasn't that mean to start poking fun at his height again)_ and smirk at his annoyed expression. Only a nagging question haunted him.

_How did Nanashi survive an attack from a Heartless where no one else did?..._

His mercenary instincts were warring with his logical processes. His instincts told him that Nanashi's survival was due to Sora's bond with Nanashi. However, his logic loudly disagreed; pointing out that if bonds could save Nanashi from dying, than what about the other people who also had bonds?

It was more likely that the heartless had failed its job. Axel was utterly confused and he didn't like it at all. To clear his mind, he took his head off again and turned it upside down for a new perspective, literally. Perhaps, it was time to go and see his informant again. He had been away from the field for too long. That "little" skirmish had proven that he was getting too rusty. As if in agreement, his chakrams gleamed at him from the table.

* * *

Merlin was waiting for the twins to show up at his shop. His face crinkled into a smile as he greeted the two of them.

"Welcome! I'm glad to see that you've recovered. Axel was mighty worried about you, Nanashi, when he came to see me about your ailment."

Nanashi nodded in acknowledgement but they weren't here for that. Sora stepped forward from Nanashi's side and held out the paopu amulet. He sincerely thanked the wizard with a bow;

"Thank you for giving me the amulet as a gift. It was a great help."

"No need to thank me. That amulet was meant for you all along. I see that you've discovered its true form, yes?" Merlin smiled as he stroke his white beard. He requested Sora; "However, as a request from an old man, could you show me the amulet's true form?"

"Its true form...? How do I do that?"

Sora looked at the small charm in his hand. It seemed rather insignificant but suddenly, it gained a new importance at Merlin's words. Nanashi remained silent. He was also just as keen as Merlin to see the weapon that had chosen Sora and defeated the heartless. Merlin chuckled at Sora's confusion and instructed him;

"Hold on to it and simply will it to come forth."

"Will it to come forth...? Ok, I'll try that."

Sora muttered as he critically gave the paopu amulet another lookover. Easier said than done, he thought. Emptying unrelevant thoughts from his mind, Sora focused all his attention onto the paopu amulet and visualised the blade he had seen that night, appear. A glow surrounded Sora and eventually, it became too bright for both Nanashi and Merlin to directly look at him. The glow quickly subsided to reveal Sora holding onto the most beautiful sword they had ever seen. Nanashi's eyes widened in admiration and he smiled proudly at Sora.

"Oh my my my. That's the most beautifully and masterfully crafted blade, I've ever seen. If I'm right, it might be one of the pair of legendary blades King Ansem the Wise made." Merlin said in amazement as he wiped his glasses and put them back on for a better look.

"It's the Oathkeeper."

"Oathkeeper?"

Sora bemusedly asked. Holding the newly named weapon, he was amazed at how light and comfortable it felt in his hand. It was as if the blade was made just for him. Nanashi whistled at the piece of surprising news before he explained to Sora;

"In this world, there was a King named Ansem the Wise. In a legend, it was said that he made a pair of swords of astonishing power and grace. The pair of swords were different as day and night but when used together; had a power beyond imagination. When Ansem the Wise disappeared, there was no trace of any such weapons. So many people dismiss them as one of the many legends surrounding the King of the Spirit World. That is, until now."

"What?! You mean I'm actually holding onto a legend right now?!" Sora gasped in shock. Nanashi laughed and congratulated him;

"Well done, you are now the proud owner of the Oathkeeper(tm). Just keep it out of Axel's greedy mercenary hands, alright?"

"Eeep. Ok, so how do I make it disappear?!" Sora stomped on the floor in mild panic. "I can't lug it around like this if it's THAT great. I'l be mobbed regardless of whether I'm a citizen of this world or the Living Plane."

"The same way it appeared. Will it back to whence it came."

Another flash of light and Sora pocketed the innocuous paopu amulet. Nanashi raised an eyebrow at Sora's new expertise. Sora curiously asked;

"If I have the Oathkeeper, then what's the name of the other sword?"

"It was Oblivion; a mirror opposite of the Oathkeeper." Merlin answered promptly. "Oh, thank you very much for showing me Oathkeeper. It was a dream of mine to be able to see King Ansem the Wise's work. If only the Oblivion was found..."

"Alright, alright, Merlin. We got that already. We'll like to find out why I was able to survive the attack from the Heartless. Have you got any idea?" Nanashi cut Merlin's ramblings short. He admittedly wasn't as thrilled as he should have been at the discovery of the Oathkeeper. Perhaps on another occasion when his life wasn't in concern. He noticed Sora pale and look distinctly at unease from the corner of his eye. Concern provoked, Nanashi kept an eye on his twin as he waited for Merlin's answer.

"Hmmhmm. In theory, the Heartless only attack people with a powerful heart or soul. Evidently, Sora was powerful enough to wield the Oathkeeper so he would have attracted the Heartless. However, it doesn't explain why they went for you as well." Merlin hypothesized but it wasn't what Nanashi wanted to hear. Sora looked even guiltier.

"Get to the point, already! We know that but I need to know why I survived. OW!" Merlin had summoned a little paper fan that swatted Nanashi on the head once before disappearing. Continuing his lecture, Merlin ignored Nanashi's grumblings and Sora's sniggering.

"The cause is just as important as the effect. The reason for why the heartless were after you also has to do with your survival. Looking at the two of you, there's a bond between you. I think that this very bond also made you a target for the Heartless, Nanashi. However, as to your survival; I think it would be too unscientific to speculate that you are the owner of the Oblivion as well."

"...Magic's pretty far unscientific as you can get, Merlin." Sora quipped. "OW!" Another summoned paper fan swatted him. This time, Nanashi snickered.

"Boys, these days...humph. As I was saying, if you were the owner of Oblivion, the other half to Sora's Oathkeeper, you might be able to withstand the Heartless because your heart would be strong enough to protect you. Another more plausible scenario is that you do not have a heart at all. You could be one of the rarer souls known as "Nobody". They are typically people who do not have any memory of their past life and thus lack a heart because they have lost the experience gained through their memories. You fit the latter scenario more than the former. I'm sorry."

Merlin finally concluded his theory. Nanashi pursed his lips and politely thanked Merlin for his service before stalking out of the shop.

"Ah, wait! Nanashi! Nanashi?" Sora called out to him but Nanashi ignored Sora and simply waited outside the shop.

"Merlin. That was cruel to say that to Nanashi. You don't realize how being called a "Nobody" really hurts Nanashi...No one wants to be called a "Nobody". Sora seriously said. Sora remembered Nanashi's childhood memories and was filled with empathy for Nanashi. Merlin looked his real age as he sadly nodded;

"I know, my boy. But he has to know sooner or later. I only regret that I had to be the one to break the news to Nanashi. Look after him well, Sora. He has been far too hurt."

"I will. Thanks for the info, though."

Sora resolutely replied and walked out of the small shop back to Nanashi. Merlin looked at the twins depart; his old, experienced eyes seeing the red string that tightly bound the two together and the worrying hole where Nanashi's heart should have been.

* * *

"Nanashi, are you alright?" Sora was concerned as Nanashi had closed himself off and looked cold and distant. For a brief moment, guilt hit him again as he remembered Merlin's words.

"...Oh. Are you angry with me because I caused you to get hurt? Frankly, that's better than you having no heart and being a "Nobody"..." Sora quietly said.

Nanashi flinched momentarily but didn't speak. Sora continued;

"I don't believe that you could ever be a Nobody because if you didn't have any heart, you wouldn't act so human with feelings. I can tell from the times we've spent together so far...I'm sorry, Nanashi for getting you hurt."

Nanashi looked at Sora's guilt-stricken face; a mirror of his own. He didn't like seeing Sora look so depressed.

"Don't be. I knew the risks of helping you go back home and I still chose to help you. You are not at fault." He smiled softly and reached out for Sora.

"Cheer up, it's my job to be gloomy, Sora." He raised Sora's chin and looked into his reflection. The darkness in Sora's eyes cleared and they were as bright as the sky above them. Nanashi felt a brief flutter in his chest at the sight and he quickly let go of Sora; shyness taking over him.

"Don't be too gloomy or your face will get wrinkles!" Sora's brilliant smile returned and the summery day seemed as if it would last forever.

* * *

"It's been a while, Axel. Your poison?"

A svelte platinum blonde with steely grey eyes greeted Axel at the bar in the small dingy pub in more dangerous part of town. Though petite in size, she was dangerous and strong enough to put a man several times larger out of commission with her daggers. Sliding into a chair, Axel smirked at her.

"One Vanilla Vixen for me, Larxene."

Larxene sultrily smirked back and started mixing the ingredients together. A few moments later, a chilled glass of pale green liquid was placed in front of Axel. She leaned forward on the table, deliberately exposing her cleavage and purred,

"What brings you back here after so long? Ordering a Vanilla Vixen? You're up to no good again, Flame Trickster." In a flash, one of her small daggers was placed at Axel's throat. Syrup-sweet, she threatened with the sting of a wasp;

"You better have a good reason for coming here again. I still haven't forgotten your betrayal."

"It's just business. There's no way I came here to chat you up, Savage Nymph. The Organization's long gone."

Axel sipped the sweet alcoholic beverage with nonchalance. Larxene snorted and put away her dagger. She cocked her thumb over to one of the isolated dark corners of the bar and told him to move.

"Fine, your informant is in that corner. I don't want to see your face any more than necessary, asshole."

"Always a pleasure, bitch."

They sneered at each other; no love was lost between the two of them. Axel blew a kiss at Larxene and laughed at her enraged expression before taking the glass and sauntering over to the designated table. A man wearing red bandages on his face was waiting for him.

"You're late."

"Sorry, I was busy catching up with Larxene."

"Well, I don't have much time to waste. What is it you need to know?"

"How one can survive an attack from an Heartless. There is a way, right?"

"...That is something I cannot answer."

"Is it because you don't really know or you can't tell the truth?"

"It matters not. If you're going to waste my time asking inane questions, I think I'll take my leave." The stranger stood up to leave but was prevented by Axel's chakram in his way.

"Hey, now now. I paid for your information so I'm going to get it from you, DiZ. I'm sure you won't appreciate your face being revealed."

"...Insolent brat. I need to know why you need to know the answer before I can tell you. Forbidden knowledge is not something that can be so easily tossed about on a whim."

DiZ reluctantly sat down under Axel's threat. Axel scrutinized him. DiZ had been a very reliable informant in the time he worked with him, however, he wasn't exactly someone you could trust to save your hide. He made his decision;

"Fine, I'll tell you why. Do not reveal what I say here to anyone else." Axel cast a privacy spell over them so their conversation would not be heard by prying people.

"Someone from the Living Plane came to this world by accident. He looks just like a friend of mine, Nanashi. In a failed attempt to send him back home, Nanashi was attacked by a heartless. However, his body didn't fade away as like with other victims. He just woke up today and is as healthy as ever. So I'll like to know how and why Nanashi was the only one to survive."

"A living person in this world...?And your friend survived an attack...hmm...I suppose I can make a concession this time." DiZ slowly agreed as he absorbed what Axel had informed him.

"Your friend survived because he is one of the "Nobodies"; people with no heart and memories of their past lives. Without a heart, he cannot truly disappear for he has never truly existed."

"Nobodies? Why is it that I've never heard of them before?" Axel was intrigued by the information. DiZ sighed and answered Axel's question;

"Nobodies are exceedingly rare and difficult to find. They look just like normal people and can even act as one of us. They are formed only when a person with a strong heart in the Living Plane dies and forms an identical being with no heart and feelings. Nobodies are like clones."

"That's hard to believe. I've known Nanashi for a very long time but he has never shown himself to be an unfeeling stone. If you were to see him and the person from the Living Plane together, you would be forced to revise your erroneous information. Thanks for the infomation, DiZ."

Axel bristled with indignation at the insinuation that Nanashi was a mere clone with no emotions. He was already regretting his decision to return to the dark Underground where he used to work. Tossing back the remainder of the Vanilla Vixen, he stood up to leave.

"Wait, I have something for Nanashi, your friend. i apologise for insinuating that your friend was an unfeeling clone. If he is not a Nobody, then...he has a bigger destiny waiting for him. Give him this. He will know what to do." DiZ threw a small package at Axel who caught it in one hand. He examined the package for a moment and decided that it wasn't a threat.

"Alright. I'll pass it to Nanashi. Nice doing business with you, DiZ."

Axel saluted the mysterious stranger and left the pub for home. As the door shut, DiZ's amber eyes flared brightly for a moment and he chuckled.

_The wheels of Destiny have finally started moving...I'll be looking forward to the finale._

fin

* * *


	6. All Hallow's Eve 6

**Title:** All Hallow's Eve 6

**Rating:** PG

**Summary:** A serious conversation ensues, two in fact...

* * *

**All Hallow's Eve 6 : A serious conversation  
**

They sat together high up in the Sakura Tree; admiring the sunset and the panorama of the city and the meadows beyond the city walls before them. A soft fragance from the white sakura flowers enveloped them; seeming to ease away the tiredness earned from the day's activities. The dimming light from the red sun threw golden light over the land; casting long shadows. It was beautiful. Sora sighed; the gold-draped city reminded him of home. Would he ever go home again? He wondered. Sensing Sora's melancholy, Nanashi inquired;

"Are you alright?" Sora dropped his head forward onto his arms across his knees. He softly mumbled such that Nanashi had to lean in closer to hear what he said.

"It's already been a week since I came here. The more I stay here, the more unlikely the prospect of returning seems. I'm afraid that my family and friends may already have forgotten about me if time passes faster there than here; despite what you said in the beginning. Years might already have passed at home even as I'm talking to you... I feel like Chihiro in "Spirited Away"." Sora paused and slowly continued; "But yet, as much as I want to go home; I also do not want you to get hurt like before. Therefore, if I had to choose; I would stay regardless of my origins because I don't want to see you hurt again."

Nanashi was both surprised and touched by Sora's words. However, duty prompted him to tell Sora that it was best for him to go home no matter what despite his conflicting emotions about Sora's departure. Sora raised his head and firmly said;

"No. What if you get attacked by a heartless again? We can't be sure that you will survive such an attack again. Anyway, it's obvious that it's me who's attracting the heartless. I wouldn't be able to bear the burden if you were to get wounded because of me." Nanashi was getting frustrated with Sora's stubborness; why couldn't he see that it was better for him to go home?!? He both hated and acknowledged that fact. His welfare was not the issue here.

"Why are you so concerned about my welfare? You should be worrying about going home. It's not like I'm your friend or family. If you fear that everything would be changed once you get back; then all the better you should go home." Nanashi gestured to the view around them; "No matter how beautiful you think this world is; the longer you stay here, the more dangerous it is for you. You're not a denizen of this world like I am...If the other demons sense you despite the wards I've put up; I can't help you anymore. It's not a fairy-tale where things end happily ever after, Sora."

"....." There was a brief silence between the two of them as the evening breeze rustled the leaves of the sakura tree around them. Sora was the first to break the silence.

"Nevertheless, Merlin's hypothesis might be correct. I do think that I have a bond with you. How else could I explain the fact I also felt your pain when you were hurt? If I'm getting my friends into danger knowingly, I would have despised myself. Friends don't hurt each other." Sora raised a hand to his heart in remembered pain. "If life's not a fairy tale, then why don't we make it a fairy tale?"

Nanashi remained silent. The golden light was dwindling and changing into a orange-red glow. The white sakuras took on a rosy hue and the scent was heavy around them in the humid air. He finally stood on the tree limb with impeccable balance and faced away into the shadows. Nanashi stretched out a hand to Sora and said,

"Let's go home, Sora. It's getting late." Sora took his hand and pulled himself up.

"I'm sorry." No one really knew who apologised first; for their voices were the same. However, they both heard and accepted the apology. The sakura tree seemed to rustle in approval as they departed in a burst of magic.

* * *

"Yo, Nanashi. I've got something for you. Catch!" Axel chucked a small red pouch at Nanashi the moment Nanashi and Sora appeared in their apartment. In an automatic reflex, Nanashi snatched it out of midair. The red velvet pouch was light in his hands and contained only one object; Nanashi analysed.

"What's inside this, Axel? I hope it's not a prank." He was wary of Axel's tricks for he had been victim to his many prank in the past. Pink dye in his shampoo, his stock of sea-salt ice-cream swiped, a spell that caused Nanashi to always say the truth; et cetera. Yes, he had the right to be wary for Axel had not been playing pranks recently. Axel blinked innocently and dramatically said,

"Moi? Do a prank? I wouldn't do it so openly. And besides, I've got a new target." He winked at Sora who gulped in apprehension. "Anyway, there's some sort of charm in it. I got it off from a sleazy guy with absolutely zero fashion sense in a poker match. I've got no use for it so you can keep it." And somewhere, DiZ sneezed. Nanashi shot a warning look at Axel and opened the pouch. A small silver cross fell into his palm.

"Gee, thanks for the charm. That's what I've always wanted." Nanashi sarcastically said. Axel replied; "Hey, you never know how useful a small charm might be. Look at Sora's paopu amulet! The poor guy was really upset to lose it so I figured that it must be really good." Smirking, he reached over and made to flick Nanashi on the nose and turned to Sora instead.

"Ow!" Before Nanashi could recover from his instinctive cringe and personally curse Axel; he'd already disappeared into the kitchen. Rubbing his nose, Sora asked, "Does he always do that?"

Nanashi rolled his eyes and fastened the cross at his collar. "Yes, he always does that ever since I've known him. However, if he did that to you, he must like you too. It's his own peculiar brand of displaying affection, I suppose. Just pray that you won't get any pink dye in the shampoo."

Sora grinned and said; "Then, why don't we turn tables on Axel? I've done plenty of pranks with Hayner at home." Nanashi raised an eyebrow at the tempting proposal as a mirror grin slowly spread on his face.

"Why didn't I think of that before? Sora, you're a genius." They gave each other a high five and began planning.

* * *

Halloween was already over three months ago. Ever since the disappearance of their _friend_, it just wasn't the same anymore. Hayner, Pence and Olette had split away from the group for they were in separate classes. Without Sora as the glue to bind them together, group meetings became more and more infrequent until eventually; they stopped altogether. Riku had been most affected by Sora's mysterious absence for he was the last person to be with Sora on Halloween. He had become more reclusive and short-tempered. Even Kairi wasn't safe from Riku's temper. She sighed as she looked out of her bedroom window to where the cursed sakura tree was; its red flowers visible in the dim morning light. If only, the bet hadn't been made...Kairi recalled yesterday's events.

Sora's mother had been devastated by the news that the search had been unsuccessful. She; a strong petite woman with dark brown hair like her son's, had collasped into incoherent tears. She had repeatedly moaned, "Not another again..." in her hysteria. And everyone empathised with her for she was a widow since ten years ago. Then, yesterday, Sora's mother paid Kairi's parents a visit and told them that she would be leaving Twilight Town for Destiny Islands, her former childhood home. Twilight Town had too many bad memories for her. Kairi had cried while Namine solemnly looked on as Sora's mother drove away in a small blue car. The fact that Sora was _gone_ finally sank in with his mother's departure.

Speaking of Namine, her sister was incredibly quiet these days and extremely difficult to find. Perhaps, it was also because Namine was grieving for Sora? Kairi wondered. But even more disturbing, it was the fact that people around her including her parents seemed to forget that Namine was ever here. She was also beginning to forget her own sister. But how was that possible when Namine was right there?

"Namine! Where have you been?" The familiar sight of Namine's face peeked round Kairi's door. She had a strange look in her eyes. Namine stepped into Kairi's bedrom. Kairi asked, "Are you alright? You know, you're not alone in grieving for Sora as well. He was my friend too." She reached out to touch Namine on the shoulder and was shocked to find her hand passing through her.

"What the-!" Namine had clapped a hand over Kairi's mouth. The hand felt cool, solid and yet incorporeal when Kairi tried to remove her sister's hand. Namine looked regretful and sad as she explained; "I'm sorry, but there's not much time to tell you everything, dear sister. Please, please forget about me and the fact that I ever existed."

The spell was quick to take effect on Kairi. Before the mist settled on her mind and erased the memory of Namine, Kairi realised; "You know where Sora is, don't you? Why don't you tell me...?" She dropped into a light sleep onto her bed, unable to stay conscious any longer. Namine touched Kairi on the shoulder and replied; "Yes, I do, Kairi. He's in the Spirit World where I belong... It's time to make things right, Kairi. I hope you will understand in time, sister of mine." Namine faded away; leaving a small memento of herself behind as a reminder of the times they had shared.

"Kairi! You're going to be late for school! Are you awake yet?" Kairi's mother called out and caused Kairi to wake. She rolled out of the bed and touched something hard and rectangular. Confused, Kairi looked down at the object and saw that it was a sketchbook with a name written in cursive on it. She picked it up and read the name out loud; "Namine...Who's she? Why does she sound so familiar?"

"KAIRI!"

"Alright, Mom! I'll be down in a second." Harried, she placed the sketchbook down on the table and grabbed her schoolbag before dashing out of her bedroom. The sketchbook fell open to reveal Sora's smiling portrait and a white sakura flower. In the distance, the red sakura flowers were like bright splashes of blood against the dark in the dreary, grey morning.


	7. All Hallow's Eve 7

**Title:** All Hallow's Eve 7

**Rating:** PG

**Author:** ofphenwa

**A/N:** Please leave a comment!

* * *

**All Hallow's Eve 7**

The next few days were utter _chaos_ for Axel. With the duo conspiring against him, he could never know when the next trap or prank would come next. His gorgeous red hair had been dyed a vile neon green and attempts to change it back only resulted in a rainbow of colours in his hair. He'd been served his favourite snack of vanilla biscuits which had laxatives in it. When in the toilet, he discovered that there was no more toilet paper. And those were just some of the milder pranks Axel had to suffer through. And to top it all off, he'd fallen for the classic prank of sitting on a whoopee cushion. The _indignity!_

Nanashi and Sora snickered as Axel stumbled into the sanctuary of his bedroom; mumbling about evil, incorrigible twins and his wounded pride. Axel slipped into his bed and stopped short as he discovered that his bed had been short-sheeted.

"ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!"

Nanashi's revenge was complete. He gave Sora a high-five and grinned.

* * *

It was now a little over a month since Halloween. Further attempts had failed and Sora still remained in Hallow Town. More and more heartless were infilitrating the darkened streets at night and constantly interrupted their work. Needless to say, the current situation frustrated Sora and his new friends a lot.

"It's not working at all." Nanashi grimly concluded as the sparks of his offensive spells faded. It was the fifth failure. Sora gingerly climbed down from the tree as the last of the heartless dissipated. He was disappointed.

"Perhaps, it's a one-way portal?" Axel suggested tiredly. Nanashi only bit his lip and gathered enough magic to teleport them home. Collasping onto a chair, he flexed his hands and mulled over Axel's suggestion as the other two found a place to lie down.

"Maybe. It would explain why the spells aren't taking effect. Or perhaps, there weren't any to begin with. It could have been a pure fluke that Sora landed here." Nanashi looked at the floor. "I don't know what else to do. I'm sorry, Sora."

He couldn't look at Sora in the eye; fearing what he would see there. There was a soft rustle and a warm hand rested on his shoulder. Sora's voice said bravely; "Don't be...You tried your best after all. I'll just have to try my be-best." A faint tremor in his words betrayed Sora's shattered hope and Nanashi's gut clenched painfully.

"Actually...there might be a way. But it's gonna be costly." Axel said. Nanashi swiftly looked up at Axel.

"Really?!? Why didn't you tell us?"

"As I said, it's costly and meant to be a last-resort only. You could see the Lord of the Underworld, Hades. He's in charge of the dead after all. But Hades is an unscrupulous man and he exhorts exorbitant prices in return for his aid." Axel patiently explained as he carefully cleaned his chakrams.

"Hades? Are you sure about that?" Nanashi anxiously asked. If Axel said that he was unscrupulous and set high prices; it maight not be worth for it. Axel set the chakrams down and made them disappear in a flicker of flames.

"Yes. Despite his character, he will help you for free if he sees benefit in doing so." Axel quietly replied. _But not without pulling a few strings here and there..._ Nanashi pondered on this for a while and he asked again;

"...alright, so where do we find him?" Axel examined his friend for a moment and closed his green eyes. "Are you really sure about this? It's Sora who has to pay since he's the one going home. So Sora?"

Nanashi finally looked at Sora. His expression was cool and calm while his eyes glittered with unshed tears and a rekindled determination. Sora's hand finally moved away from Nanashi's shoulder and Sora said firmly;

"I will. It's finally my turn to do some work here, don't you think?" Nanashi frowned slightly.

Axel smiled at this and he snapped his fingers. "Hmm, I knew you would say that. Very well, I'll lead you to Hades' palace tomorrow. Now, get plenty of rest, both of you. It's going to be a rough journey." With that, the discussion was over.

"Hmm, let's go to bed like Axel says..." Sora muttered as he turned to leave the common room. Nanashi halted him with a hand on his arm. "What was that about? I already told you that I don't mind helping you for nothing. If Hades's anything like what Axel said, I would rather find another way to help you home! No need to pay for something you can't afford." Sora slowly inclined his head to look at him.

"But there's no other way, right, Nanashi?" Stung by Sora's ruthlessly honest answer, Nanashi dropped his hand. Sora's blue eyes softened slightly at Nanashi's hurt expression. "...I'm sorry, Nanashi. But I've got to try. I can't rely on you to help me all the time. You know that it's getting more dangerous to continue this and you might get hit by a heartless again. However, you might not survive the next time. So...I feel that I must do my own share; now it's the time to do it."

Nanashi bit his lip and looked at Sora's apologetic visage. He couldn't summon an effective protest against Sora's words unlike the previous time. Defeated, Nanashi felt helpless and tiny. He softly mumbled; "...alright. Just promise me you will take care of yourself." Sora's lips quirked into a small upturn that wasn't quite a smile. Sora impulsively reached out and embraced Nanashi.

"Yes, I promise, Nanashi." Nanashi stiffened before relaxing into Sora's hug and returning the gesture. He was very tired; Sora chuckled at that and the exhaustion finally took him.

* * *

Kairi had gone to the cemetery again. The red sakura tree loomed before her as she reached the center of the graveyard. Her red hair fluttering as she briskly walked; Kairi finally got to her favourite sitting stone at the base of the tree. Then she stopped short.

"Riku! What are you doing here?" The solitary figure with long silvery hair was looking upwards at the red sakura flowers. Hearing her, he turned and saw Kairi. He smiled;

"Oh it's you, Kairi. I didn't think anyone would come here. Why are you here?" Recovering from her surprise; Kairi waved the sketchbook she had been carrying. "I could ask you the same question! I came here because it's peaceful and I'm able to do my drawings in peace." Kairi stepped forward and sat down on the stone. She flipped open her sketchbook and placed a pencil to the cream-coloured paper and drew a swift curve.

Riku looked at her and said; "Oh, I didn't know you liked to draw." Kairi looked up at him through her fringe. She replied; "It's been nearly a year since we last talked. Of course, you wouldn't know." Riku looked contrite for a moment before his face became blank.

"...I see. Has it been already so long? Since Sora disappeared..." At this, Kairi's pencil jerked and made an ugly black mark against the paper. She cursed.

"Oh SHOOT! This drawing's ruined..." Angrily, she looked at Riku, her purple eyes blazing. "You jerk, don't think that you're ALONE in this! Sora was also my friend! There's not one day when I don't regret making the bet with the boys on that Halloween. But it's in the past now and we can't change it. We move on. And look at you, you were once my friend who was always confident of himself. But now, you're just stuck in the past and I don't even know you anymore." She caught her breath and looked down at the drawing.

Riku was stunned by the sudden outburst from Kairi. Then he became angry. "You don't know anything! I was the one with Sora that night. I should have stuck closer to him and made sure he didn't get lost! We made another bet to see who could reach this damned tree first! I regret that." He slammed his hand against the trunk of the sakura tree. There was a tremor in the tree and a flaw blew through the leaves of the tree; creating a whistling sound. Kairi wouldn't take anymore of Riku's stupidity. She stood up and in a few quick strides, she got to Riku and swung her hand.

**SLAP!**

The harsh sound of her hand meeting with Riku's face rang out through the clearing. Riku's head snapped to the side with the sheer force of her slap. Her hand throbbing with the impact; Kairi pulled her hand away from Riku. His cheek reddening, Riku clasped his cheek and looked at Kairi with wide eyes as if he was seeing her for the first time. Kairi's lower lip trembled and tears trickled from her eyes. She said;

"It doesn't matter...It's all in the past now and we have to move on, no matter how painful it is. Although Sora's now gone, Riku, you're still my friend...!"

Guilt-stricken and finally coming to his senses, Riku dropped his gaze to the grassy ground. The heat in his cheek flared painfully in a physical reminder of Kairi's words and he winced. "...I'm sorry, Kairi."

Kairi wetly giggled and went to pick up her materials from the floor. "You've got a hard head, Riku." Riku wryly smiled in depreciation and went to help Kairi pick her things.

"And you've got a strong arm, Kairi. Ever think of trying out for the boxing team?" He joked. Kairi punched him on the arm in retaliation. They genuninely smiled at each other for the first time in months; the guilt laid to rest behind them.

* * *

"So, Riku, I'll see you again some other time?" Kairi asked as they prepared to leave the cemetery. Riku nodded and said; "Yeah, you'll see me. Thank you for your company." Kairi smiled. Then she remembered something; she opened up her sketchbook and tore out a page. It was the one with an ugly mark she had made earlier. She knelt down and placed the drawing next to the stone and weighed it down with a twig. Riku bemusedly watched her.

"Why are you throwing away that drawing here? You could put it into a litterbin."

"No...I'm not throwing it away. I'm giving it to the Sakura Tree." Kairi stood up and dusted herself off. She brightly smiled at Riku; "Let's go." Riku raised an eyebrow at the strange answer but didn't push it. His cheek still throbbed.

"Oh, what was that drawing of anyway?" he curiously asked.

"Hmm? Oh, it's of a person I see in my dreams. Someone I would like to have as a sister." As their voices faded into the distance, the rough sketch of a blonde girl in a white dress fluttered beneath the paperweight in the strong breeze. Moments later, it was finally dislodged and carried away by the wind. It flew into the hands of Namine who held it carefully like a treasure. She looked at the two figures walking away from her perch on the Sakura Tree and smiled.

"Thank you, Kairi..."


	8. All Hallow's Eve 8

**Title** : All Hallow's Eve 8  
**Rating** : PG  
**Summary**: Axel's one cool dude. Greek geeks rejoice!  
**A/N** : Wow! I seriously had a lot of fun researching Greek mythology for this chapter. Or more specifically, the layout of Hades' world. When you read this, please have an open mind for the characters like Hades will not be written like how Disney has portrayed them to be. In fact, Hades in ancient greek mythology appealed to me more than the Disney version. Now, please enjoy the new chapter and review! :)

* * *

**All Hallow's Eve 8**

The delicate scent of sakura flowers floated on a light breeze into the sunlit summer palace of Persephone. Reclining on luxurious cushions, the beautiful, statuesque goddess was quick to notice another presence in the room. She put down the opened pomegranate into a ceramic bowl; the ruby-red seeds glittering in the bright light.

"Show yourself, servant of Demeter." She commanded. The fragrance of flowers rapidly grew stronger until a small figure materialized. The stranger curtseyed in greeting to Persephone.

"My greetings, Lady Persephone. I have come with a favour to ask of you." Namine politely stated as she rose from her curtsey. Persephone arched an elegant dark brow at the unusual request and gestured for her to continue. Namine took a deep breath; it was crucial that she had Persephone's aid in this matter.

"Would you be willing to return to Lord Hades' side earlier than expected? I have friends who seek an audience with the Lord of the Underworld and your presence would be of utmost importance."

Persephone's lip curled at Namine's proposal. She picked up the pomegranate again and examined it. After a moment's deliberation; she asked; "This is a most unusual and audacious request. You, being a _servant_ of Demeter, should know that my mother despises my husband. Why would you foolishly defy her? It would mean a longer and harsher winter for your kind; Hamadryad." Her dark eyes flashed with an unnatural light even as Persephone moved her long, glossy, raven hair over her shoulder.

Namine refrained from lowering her eyes from the goddess's gaze. She bravely said; "Because I have to help my friends and correct a wrong. If it means that I have to suffer, so shall be it, Lady Persephone."

Persephone looked at her in mild surprise before bursting into a sultry, throaty laughter. She passed the pomegranate from one hand to another and remarked; "You are a strange one, Hamadryad. Very well, I shall depart for my winter dwelling to where Lord Hades dwells today. It should be an amusing endeavor. Does it please you, little one?'

Namine quickly curtseyed and thanked her. "I dare not say that it does please me very much indeed. I can only hope that you will find it your worthwhile, my Ladyship."

"Go. I do not wish to dally further with you." Persephone imperiously ordered; her tolerance for the young spirit nearly at an end. She rose from the cushions in a swirl of richly embroidered silk robes and elegant marble limbs. Namine curtseyed again and immediately took her leave in a quick zephyr.

"Hmm, my dear husband would be most pleased by this. I wonder what that little hamadryad has in mind..." The pomegranate was left half-finished in the bowl; its crimson insides as rich as blood.

* * *

True to Axel's words, the journey to Hade's realm was a long and rough trip. They had to start travelling at the first light of dawn and their journey took them beyond the city walls. Laboriously trekking through the fields of tall grasses that hid treacherous ditches; Sora had never been so exhausted or sore in his entire life! He glanced around and couldn't see anything else but grass, grass, grass and even more GRASS! With the exception of a single tree in the vast plains around them.

"Just how much further do we have to walk? Why can't we teleport instead?" He felt slightly proud for being able to prevent the question from sounding like a whiny complaint. Axel didn't bother to throw a glance back to Sora as he diligently followed his inner compass.

"We have to save our energy. Besides, Hades has put up a shield that prevents anyone from teleporting in and out at will. And uh...a couple of obstacles that can't be bypassed by simple teleportation."

"What OBSTACLES?" Nanashi sharply asked; his irritability at an all time high. He didn't want to deal with anything dangerous or troublesome at the moment; oh no! He hadn't even had his daily coffee YET.

"Oops. I forgot to mention that last night, did I?" At least Axel had the decent grace to look slightly abashed at his error. Nanashi glared daggers at him. Axel finally stopped walking and put a hand behind his head and explained;

"Well, there's this three-headed mutt at the gate of Hades' kingdom you have to be careful of. There's a river we have to ferry across but we have to pay Charon in order to do so. Don't drink or eat anything once you are in the Underworld."

Axel looked around and seemed to recognize their location. Triumphantly, he pointed forward to the silvery ribbon winding in the distance. "We're getting close now! That's the river Styx. It's the border of Hade's realm." Then he swung around to point at the grove of tall white poplar trees to the west. They were graceful and dazzling in the bright noon sun.

"And that's the home of Lady Persephone, spouse of Lord Hades. Perhaps, one day, I can show you her palace." Axel had a soft respectful smile on his face as he mentioned Persephone's name. Apparently, Lady Persephone was someone he respected greatly.

"Alright, we gotta hurry before it gets dark." Axel returned to the task with great alacrity; prodding them to start walking again. Both Sora and Nanashi suppressed their groans as they dutifully followed.

* * *

At least two hours later and several foot-lengths behind, they were at the bank of the river Styx. In the afternoon light, the river glittered like diamonds as the currents coursed strongly against the soil. Noting the similarity of the river Styx and the one he'd seen in his dream, Sora was loath to dip his sore feet into the cool water even as Axel and Nanashi cooled their feet with a sigh of relish.

"Sora, what's wrong? You afraid that your feet will get bitten?" Axel joked. "You can wet your feet now because it's going to take a while before Charon comes by. After that, it's going to be another long walk."

Sora didn't deign to reply; looking ill at ease. Nanashi looked at his twin and finally realized what had him so uncomfortable. He gestured to Sora to come and sit beside him. Leaning closer to Sora, Nanashi whispered into his ear;

"The river reminds you of the dream; does it?"

"Wha-! How did you know?!?" Sora jolted slightly; his blue eyes widening in shock. Nanashi rolled his eyes and gently reminded him; "The memory exchange, remember?"

"Oh yeah...I'd forgotten about that."

"So, what's gotten you so upset? We aren't going to swim across so there's no chance you would drown." Sora flinched and his face pinked in embarassment. He muttered;

"No! It's not like that...I'd already gotten over my fear of running water ages ago! It's just that..."

"It's just what?" Nanashi gently prompted. He cautiously put an arm across Sora's shoulders, bringing their bodies into contact. Sora didn't push him away but leant instinctively into him. "Come on, you can tell me. Axel's busy looking out for Charon." Indeed, Axel had already gotten up and was now pacing along the bank of the river; keeping a sharp eye out for the ferryman. Sora furtively glanced at the solitary conspicuous figure. He sighed.

"...The dream I was talking about was yours. It bugs me a great deal." Nanashi bit his lip at Sora's confession. He's also forgotten that the memory exchange had been two-way instead of the usual one-way. Mentally composing himself, Nanashi asked his twin;

"Please be frank with me. This issue is too important to be left alone before we enter Hade's land. It might put you at risk." Sora's eyes turned reproachful at Nanashi's careless approach. Nanashi didn't notice his twin's growing ire at the assumption that he wasn't able to take care of himself. It was only a frigging dream, for crying out loud! He roughly pushed his twin away and stood up.

"You know what, it's not a very big deal. It's only a dream!" Nanashi was confused at the sudden turnabout.

"But you said that it was bugging you a lot not just a few minutes ago. Why won't you tell me?" Sora flushed but he stubbornly refused to answer. Nanashi reached out but Sora moved away from his reach. Nanashi immediately got annoyed at Sora's stubborness.

"Dammnit, Sora! I'm doing this for your sake. Why don't you tell me? I'm sure that whatever it is, we can sort it out." His voice was level; belying his frustration and annoyance. There was a long silence which the two of them refused to break.

"Hey guys, what are you doing over there? Charon, the ferryman's here already." Axel's loud voice caught their attention and they both looked in his direction. There was a boat with an old man wrapped in grey robes manning it. Satisfied that the duo were making their way towards them, Axel bent down to negotiate with Charon the ferrying fee. Charon couldn't speak but he mimed with his hands.

"Ah, so 300 gil altogether? 100 gil for each of us? Fair enough." Axel grinned and slapped a small bag containing the fee into Charon's hands. In a few moments, the trio were all settled in the boat and the journey across the river Styx began. However, still sore over the recent spat, Nanashi and Sora sat separately on either side of Axel and refused to communicate with each other. The atmosphere was tense and so uncomfortable that Axel frowned at the new turn of the events.

"Hey, what happened earlier?"

"Nothing!" Both voices chimed in irritation on both sides and Axel rolled his eyes. "Oh, a lovers' spat, eh?" Sora spluttered and turned a lovely shade of red on his left while Nanashi literally glared blue daggers at Axel.

"Man, youngsters these days, hmm? I'm sure you've met many of those before, Charon." Charon's wizened face crinkled in agreement as he slowly rowed the boat across the depths of the river Styx.

* * *

The ferry trip was relatively quick but it seemed like an eternity in the tense and hostile silent atmosphere aboard the boat. As they approached the opposite bank, Axel noted that the temperature had dropped as it grew darker. They disembarked from Charon's boat and Axel cheerfully waved farewell to the old man as Charon ferried away from sight. Sora and Nanashi weren't still speaking but he wasn't too concerned about their state of affairs at the moment.

"Alright, we gotta walk a bit further to the gate. Brace yourselves; you're going to get a BIG surprise." No reply was forthcoming and Axel could just feel a pout threatening to come on.

"Aw, you guys aren't fun anymore. Lighten up, you both are giving Hades' decor a run for its money!" Axel just received a blank look from Nanashi and a rolling of the eyes from Sora. Right. They were so NOT in the mood.

They trudged on across the land and soon, they could see an imposing gate looming in the distance...and a gigantic three-headed dog. The beast snarled at the newcomers and its drool dripped on the ground. A sizzle that arose shortly after warned them that the monster's saliva was poisonous. Its black matted fur stood on end as its yellow eyes pinned them with a predatory but intelligent look. Its paws with sharp claws dug into the soil and it growled. Fortunately for the trio, the guard-dog from hell was chained to the gate. Both Nanashi's and Sora's jaws dropped at the sight.

"...HO-HOLY SHIT! You NEVER told us just HOW BIG THAT DOG WOULD BE!" Sora yelped in shock as soon as his brain reconnected with his mouth after a moment of dumbfounded shock. "Just how are we gonna get past it?!?!?"

Axel smirked mischievously at the twins' united dismay and leisurely sauntered forward to the gate. Nonchalant about his safety, he patted one of the forelegs closest to him and smiled in satisfaction as the beast tucked in its tail and sat with a loud thump that shook the ground.

"Hey, long time no see, uh, Cerberus? I've got a threat for ya, you overgrown dog." Axel put his hand into his pocket and drew out a large bone. He waved it in front of Cerberus's slobbering mouth and carefully chucked it short distance away from the gate.

"FETCH, BOY!" In a bound that defied the limits of imagination, Cerberus was already away from the gate in a blink of the eye. Axel beckoned the duo forward; hissing at them to hurry.

"Oh and avoid the puddles of acidic drool, will you?" Axel quipped as the party finally made it past the gates of Hades' Kingdom. Panting with exertion and wide-eyed with amazement, Sora asked;

"Wow, how did you do that?!? It was so SCARY. But it was kind of cool..." Axel laughed proudly and refused to reveal his secret. Nanashi hmphed and warned Axel; "Next time, warn us ahead of time! What if your plans went haywire?"

"Alright, alright, we gotta move. Hades isn't going to come to us no matter how long we dawdle here!" He waved off Nanashi's reproaches and reminded them of their original objective. Axel was already on the move, his long legs swallowing up the distance between him and the dark fortress of Hades' Palace.

In quick time, they had already traversed the Asphodel Meadows which was true to its name for it was filled with bone-white asphodel flowers. The flowers glowed eerily in the dim light of Hades' world. They were now at the Plains of Judgement according to Axel; who seemed strangely well-versed in the geography of this eerie world. Pausing for a moment to recollect his bearings, Axel glimpsed a flash of gold and started off in that direction. Hard pressed to keep up with Axel's unrelenting pace, Nanashi had to question him.

"Axel, why is it that you know this place so well? I've never heard you mention Hades and this place before." In the dim light, Nanashi couldn't see Axel's profile clearly. There was a gleam of revealed teeth as Axel enigmatically replied;

"Because you never asked."

"That's not an answer!" But it was too late; Axel had already moved ahead, leaving Nanashi with Sora who was lagging behind. Realizing that he wouldn't be able to get any more answers from Axel; he waited for Sora to catch up. He hollered after Axel; "Wait up, will you? Sora still needs to catch up!" But he wasn't sure whether Axel had heard him for he was already far away. He squinted and he could barely make out the trademark red hair of Axel's bobbing in the distance where a gold tree was.

Grudgingly, he turned around and watched Sora jog up to him. Sora reached his side and bent forward, supporting his hands on his knees. He panted, struggling to get oxygen into his body. Sora wasn't used to the terrain and his body had felt heavier than usual. Nanashi patted him on the back and asked distantly;

"You alright? We still have a way to go."

"Yeah, just give me a moment. Gosh, I could use some water!" Sora muttered as he licked his dry lips. Nanashi looked down at the hunched figure. He replied; "Axel said that we weren't supposed to drink or eat anything inside Hade's land. You'll have to bear with it a little longer."

Sora screwed up his face at the harsh reminder. "I know that. But why aren't you feeling thirsty too?" Nanashi looked back at Sora's questioning face and then at the gloomy environment around them.

"I think it's because you're still alive unlike me. You still have bodily needs and wants while I'm just a manifestation of a soul."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. We have to hurry. It's getting dark." Satisfied that Sora had caught his breath, Nanashi began moving in Axel's direction and waited for Sora to move alongside him. At least, now they were back on speaking terms...

* * *

Axel was waiting for them at the threshold of Hades' Palace. The Golden Bough shone brilliantly in the dim light, in contrast to the black obsidian walls of the palace. The palace's lines were clean and severe as it glowed with a spectral light. Grinning like a jester, Axel nimbly hopped off one of the railings and greeted them.

"Glad to see that you made it! Come on, Hades has been informed about our presence. Let's give him our regards." As if in response, the large oaken doors of Hades' Palace swung open to allow the visitors in. Moving with stealth and grace, Axel guided the twins through the large hallways and corridors with confidence as if he knew the surroundings by the back of his hand. This further pricked Nanashi's curiosity but he restrained his questions. He got the feeling that though Hades was not physically present, he was aware of all that occurred within his domain. He shivered at the thought.

"Alright, Lord Hades is waiting in that room." They came to a halt in front of a pair of carved doors which had doorknockers shaped like skulls. They were very _realistic_. Sora eyed them with trepidation. Not bothered by this, Axel touched one of them and the skull came to life. A hollow spectral voice echoed through the cavernous space;

_"Who seeks an audience with Lord Hades?"_

Both Sora and Nanashi started. Sora sidled closer to Nanashi as the skull seemed to turn and set its hollow eye sockets on them. Axel chirpily answered; "It's Axel, Nanashi and Sora who wishes to see Lord Hades. Now, please open the doors, brothers."

To the twins' horrified amazement, the skull seemed to find this amusing as its jaws clattered together in what passed for raucous laughter. It spoke again after recovering from its laughter;

_"Very well, Brother, you're allowed an audience with Hades."_ The skull became inanimate and there was loud grinding as the doors onerously swung open to admit them into Hades' presence.

"Okay, that was seriously the coolest thing next to Cerberus."

* * *

**A/N:** Map of Underworld & Info on Greek Underworld may be found at my profile, if you're interested. :)


	9. All Hallow's Eve 9

**Title: **All Hallow's Eve 9**  
**

**Summary:** Persephone is one scary lady.

**A/N:** Merry Christmas to you all! Enjoy the double chapter update as a christmas present! Please leave a review if you have anything to say and also, it works as a christmas present to me, haha! :D ...Sorry. *hides*

* * *

**All Hallow's Eve 9**

The first thing they saw was a large empty, ebony throne at the end of the room. The dim light provided by the flickering candles that lined the walls of the sparsely decorated room seemed to be sucked in by the dark throne. There was no sign of Hades. Shivering with the chill, Sora rubbed his arms in an attempt to keep warm. In response, Nanashi pulled part of his cloak around Sora. He didn't protest.

Nanashi's eyes kept flicking around the room; attempting to peer into the shadows for some sign of an entity. The place positively made his skin crawl. He sympathized with Sora who was shivering with cold beside him. The cold sensations he was currently experiencing must have been more intense for Sora. Only Axel seemed to be perfectly comfortable as he stood confidently with a sly smile on his face. Axel kept watching the ebony throne as if he knew where Hades was.

In a sudden action that took them by surprise, Axel gracefully bowed; his head somehow managing to stay attached. Straightening from his bow, he greeted the Lord of the Underworld.

"We have come for an audience with you, Lord Hades." In reply to Axel's greeting, there was a ripple in the air around the throne and Hades appeared. Tall and imposing with dark hair and a pale complexion, Hades sat in his throne as if he'd always been there. A bronze helmet was placed on one of the armrests and it shone dully. His black robes swirled around him and Nanashi thought he could see the tortured faces of souls in the shifting fabric of Hades' clothes. Hades' dark, bottomless eyes looked down at them and he spoke.

"Speak, wandering souls, of your business with me."

Axel brightly smiled and nudged Sora forward. In a flamboyant gesture, he explained of Sora's plight and whether Lord Hades would have any knowledge on his situation? Sora watched Hades carefully; he feared that if he made a wrong move, he just might incur the wrath of the god. The said god, shifted slightly in his throne and his brows were furrowed.

"It is beyond my jurisdiction. I do not know how and why he was brought here into this dimension." Axel's smile remained fixed and he pushed Sora behind him. Still smiling, he asked Hades;

"But as a god, you should know everything, right?" Hades' robes swirled more furiously and his eyes flared with indignation. His voice rose and rumbled dangerously as Hades replied;

"Very well, sly shadow, will you pay the price for my knowledge?"

"It's not me who will pay. It's Sora." At this, Hades turned his attention onto Sora and his measuring gaze rested on him heavily. Sora couldn't swallow past the lump in his throat.

"Are you willing?" It was all Sora could do to force out the words from his mouth. He didn't look at Nanashi's pale and worried face.

"Yes, I am willing." At this, Hades smiled mirthlessly and rose from his throne. He was far taller than Sora expected. He raised his right hand and pointed his finger at Sora. A sickly green glow surrounded his hand and something inside him suddenly wanted _out_. Gasping for air, he dropped to his knees and found that he couldn't move at all. And all the while, the painful feeling of something being slowly dragged out from the depths of his being continued.

"Sora!" Nanashi cried in horror as he watched Sora fall. He moved towards Sora but was prevented by Axel. "Don't. Sora said he was going to pay for this. Do. **not.** interfere."

Nanashi looked from Sora's limp body to Hades who was extracting what looked like his life-force and back to Axel. He hissed at Axel; "Are you STUPID?!? Look! Sora's dying! What the hell are you doing?!?" Axel was a stranger to him now; looking uncharacteristically blank. Nanashi couldn't decipher Axel's thoughts anymore. He tried to move to Sora again and then found that Axel had placed a Freeze spell on him.

"AXEL!" He cried out in betrayed outrage. Nanashi was horrified and maddened by the new turnout of events. He couldn't do a _damn. single. thing!_ He struggled fruitlessly against the spell bindings and cursed.

_"Lord Hades! Lady Persephone has come!"_

_

* * *

  
_

At the sudden announcement, Hades lowered his hand and the glow dissipated. He was surprised by the sudden arrival of his wife. Sora shakily got back to his feet and Axel released the spell on Nanashi. Fumbling from the sudden release, Nanashi regained his bearings and rapidly got to Sora's side. As he checked Sora's vitals, Nanashi looked suspiciously at Axel; the person who wasn't the one he had known. Axel didn't bother looking at them but was awaiting Lady Persephone's presence with a faint smile.

"Let her in." Recovering from his surprise, Hades commanded the doors to open. As soon as the doors were wide-open, Lady Persephone strode into the hall with little fanfare; her long colourful robes contrasting with the dark surroundings. Her eyes flashed with the same light in Hades' eyes and her long black hair rippled behind her. Ignoring the other people in the room, she confidently made her way to Hades' side and bestowed a close-lipped kiss at the corner of his mouth.

"Lord Hades, I have come."

"Why are you here, Lady Persephone? Your mother, Demeter, is going to be angry." Persephone smiled seductively and murmured, "What difference does it make? I'm already here by your side, my Lord." Hades merely looked at her and Persephone had already turned her attentions elsewhere. She surveyed the room, noticing the trio.

"I see that you were busy when I came. Should I leave?"

"No, you need not leave. I was just about finished." Hades answered as he took Persephone's fair hand and kissed it. She raised an eyebrow and suggested,

"So you were not finished yet. Very well, I shall stay. On the condition that I be present when you deal with these three. Shall we hold a banquet for them tonight?" Her eyes flashed with an unfounded humor. Hades simply smiled; a bloodless smile. He did not refuse. He clapped his hands, once, twice and four shadows detached itself from the walls; materializing into cloaked people.

"Bring them to the guest rooms. Prepare the annual banquet; make it as lavish as possible for my wife's early arrival." The shadows bowed and began carrying his command. As the shadows left the room together with the trio and the doors swung shut, Persephone gave Hades a sultry smile. She extended her hand to Hades and he took it, pulling her to him. Thus, the annual rites began.

* * *

Sora collapsed onto the large bed and Nanashi quickly sat beside him in concern. Sora's forehead was cool and clammy under his palm and his pupils were dilated. Nanashi refrained from swearing out loud and attempted to cast a healing spell on him.

"How's he?" Nanashi sat up and saw Axel at the door. He snarled at him; "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand." Axel apologetically spread his hands in a beseeching manner and replied; "I wasn't expecting Hades to extract such a payment. I should have known that Hades would have detected Sora's life-force past your wards."

"...still, it doesn't explain why you stopped me and didn't attempt to help Sora."

"It's against the rules in this land. Once you make an agreement, you can't back out of it. Sora had already agreed and there was nothing we could do. We would have only incurred Hades' wrath."

"When did the rules matter so much to you?"

"They always did. I just play by a different set of rules, **Na-na-shi**. Anyway, give Sora this to drink. It'll suppress his hunger and thirst during the banquet. Remember that he must not eat or drink anything served at the banquet or he'll be forever bound to this land." Axel tossed a vial of clear liquid to Nanashi who caught it with two hands. Before he left, he gave a final piece of advice to Nanashi;

"Now's the good time to reconcile with Sora. Both of you will need each other during this night."

The door clicked shut and Nanashi sat on the bed with the vial in his hands. What were they going to do? He looked at Sora's pained face and back at the vial. Fine, he'd better do what Axel said. He opened the vial and gently shook Sora awake.

"Come on. Axel gave me this. You should drink it. It'll make you feel better."

"...nanashi?" Sora's eyes opened and looked at him. A tight smile appeared on Nanashi's face and he muttered, "Yeah, I'm here. You have to drink this."

"Oh, ok...help me?" Sora was too exhausted to lift his arm and drink from the vial so Nanashi carefully placed the vial to his lips and tilted it. Sora drank and he choked.

"Urgh. It tastes bitter! What the hell is that drink?" Sora sat up and wiped the liquid from his face; pushing Nanashi away. The effects were immediate as Sora's fevered flush disappeared and he regained his energy. Nanashi heaved a sigh of relief at Sora's recovery.

"Good. You're alright now." Nanashi had never been so scared and worried before in his "life" when Sora fell before Hades. He could feel Sora's pain as he shuddered on the floor. It was a slow painful ache that drained his being. Even the pain of Axel's seeming betrayal paled in comparison. He badly wanted to hug Sora again to reassure himself that he was fine but the recent quarrel they had had earlier, prevented him.

Sora stretched, easing out the kinks in his body and finally recognized that they weren't in Hades' throne room anymore. He was puzzled. "When did we get here, Nanashi?"

"Not too long ago. Hades was going to extract a price from you but he was prevented by Lady Persephone's arrival. You're lucky." Sora looked at the floor in remembered pain.

"I wasn't expecting that to happen. It hurt a lot."

"No kidding, he was taking your life-force! That's why it hurt." Nanashi couldn't prevent that from sounding acrimonious. Sora flinched. Nanashi sighed wearily and apologised;

"Sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that. But next time, be more cautious."

"...Nanashi. I'm sorry too."

"For what?" Sora was now blushing in painful embarrassment and he fidgeted on the bed. "About earlier, at the river Styx...my stupid pride got in the way..." He fisted the cloth as he admitted; "I didn't appreciate feeling like a hapless damsel in distress and you were treating me like one. I hated it."

Now, Nanashi was also blushing in embarrassment. He felt really, really stupid. Of course! He hadn't noticed that he'd been treating Sora like a child while he was concerned about his memories. Resisting the urge to smack himself, he sat down next to Sora.

"Well, I also have to apologise...I didn't realise that i was treating you like a kid..." Looking sideways; not meeting Sora's gaze, he continued, "Shall we start over? Would you mind telling me about the dream?"

Sora looked sideways as well, avoiding Nanashi's eyes. Awkwardly, he began telling Nanashi about the dream and the river in it. Nanashi patiently listened.

* * *

"Ah I see. That river you saw in your dream wasn't the River Styx."

"Really?"

"Yes. I can understand why you were afraid of the river Styx. That river does come from the same source as the Styx. However it's not the same. It was called the Lethe River."

"Lethe?"

"Hmm." Both Nanashi and Sora finally met each other's eyes without animosity and the tension between them had evaporated. They were just in time for the banquet as the door opened with the shadows waiting to guide them to the dining hall.

* * *

"Axel, it is good to see you again." Persephone had summoned the flame-haired man to her quarters after her meeting with Hades. Changing behind a screen, Persephone questioned Axel;

"What have you been up to these days? The last time I heard was that the Organization had been brought down to its knees. Your workings, I presume? You continue to amuse me as ever, my little jester."

Axel smiled wryly and inclined his head in acknowledgement. "The Organization was getting too stuffy for me. I decided it was time to leave, my Queen." The silhouette of Lady Persephone on the screen paused for a moment before it shrugged off her robes. Axel looked away.

"I see. So what is your next joke? I'm looking forward to the finale, dear Axel." Persephone stepped out from behind the screen, looking resplendent in her shimmering midnight robes that plunged to reveal her generous cleavage and back.

"It's a secret. It would not have such an impact if I were to reveal anything earlier than the expected time."

"How very like you to not tell me the joke. You always know how to keep me entertained." Persephone placed a finger on Axel's chin and slowly moved it down his neck, his chest and stopped; resting her finger ontop of his nonexistent heart. Axel didn't respond. She cruelly smirked and snatched away her hand from Axel. Persephone then went to her dressing table to put on her jewellery.

"But you are also starting to bore me. Your futile quest to regain your heart is beginning to get stale."

Axel suddenly laughed. It was cold and unfeeling. His smile was as sharp as a dagger as he said; "But that's the fun of it, dear Queen. The punchline always comes when you least expect it. You should know that by now."

"Oh? Now I'm curious."

Axel bent his head, revealing the harsh red line of the cut on his neck. His dangerous smile on all the while; he made a request; "This will be a masterpiece. I shall need your aid."

"Speak."

"I need you to persuade Hades to give us the information for free. Your feminine wiles are a necessary tool in my plan. Would you have the pleasure of being part of the joke?" He bowed to Lady Persephone, uncaring of his safety. She snorted in amusement and agreed to accede to his request.

"Funny, I had a little hamadryad come and make a request of me earlier. Is she working with you?" Axel cocked his head at the piece of news. He only smiled and waved his finger at her.

"Oh no~ I can't tell you anymore. I've already revealed too much, my lady. "

"Then go." Persephone watched him leave her boudoir with an amused expression. No matter what, she would never tire of Axel's sly schemes.

* * *

As soon as Axel was a safe distance from the goddess, he slammed a hand into the stone wall. His green eyes narrowed as his mouth set into a snarl. The. _BITCH_. She knew very well why Axel kept doing these schemes; yet she refused to lift the curse all for her own entertainment. He hated having to pretend to lick her boots, even in the presence of others like Nanashi. At the thought of his small friend, he closed his eyes in regret. With his earlier actions, he just might have lost his brethren. He breathed heavily for several moments before recollecting his composure. It was time for the banquet.

* * *

It was admittedly, the most fabulous spread of food he'd ever seen. The liquid that he had drunk earlier did help to assuage the hunger and thirst he felt but the sight and smells of the banquet was threatening to undo the potion's effect. Sora's mouth watered as the aroma of roast beef floated over to him. He felt parched just looking at the fluted glasses of golden fluid. But he couldn't even eat or drink! He whimpered as he watched Persephone and Hades consume their food with relish. Nanashi looked at him from across the table and mouthed; _"Just a little longer. Don't eat or drink!"_ Sora groaned and slid further down his oversized chair. He couldn't wait till this _torture_ was over with!

He tried to take his mind off _food_ and _drink_ by observing his surroundings. Just for this occasion, the dining hall was brilliantly lit with crystal chandeliers and shadows danced across the stone walls. Soft music played in the background. It was rather romantic; just perfect for a date with Kairi. Sora whimsically smiled at the thought of his crush; a visual of Kairi's smiling face and violet eyes appearing his mind. He wondered how she was doing now back in the Living Plane. There was a lull in the cello music. The colour of Kairi's eyes changed to a familiar cerulean which looked wrong on her face. Her face then morphed into his own and her maroon hair shortened and paled to a straw blonde. Nanashi was smiling back and it was somehow more beautiful than Kairi's smiles had ever been. Sora gasped and his eyes flew open; unaware that he'd drifted off to sleep. Why did he suddenly dream of _**Nanashi**_?

"Sora? The banquet's over." Nanashi nudged him with his foot; drawing his attention back to his surroundings. Nanashi's concerned blue eyes had him inexplicably blushing without his control. Good lord, he could feel his ears burning! Butterflies in his stomach, he avoided Nanashi's gaze as he listened to the conversation between Hades and Axel.

* * *

"Since it is Persephone's wish and I am in a good mood; I shall give you the information." Hades declared as Persephone slipped a grape into her mouth. She rolled the grape on her tongue and bit into it with perfectly white teeth. Axel didn't bother looking at Persephone's provocative display. He tapped his fingers on the table and thanked Hades;

"Thank you very much, it is more than what we could hope to expect." Hades' lip curled. He spoke; "I have seen a similar case in Orpheus before. However, it was willing for his Eurydice had passed into my land. He would not leave without her and he was a fine musician so in the end, I let them go. However, Orpheus's love proved weak in the end for Eurydice still remains in the Asphodel Meadows and he is left on the Living Plane to wander as a lost soul."

Hades looked at Sora and then at Nanashi with a measuring gaze. "I suspect that Sora will able to go back if he finds someone he loves here and that soul is willing to go with him. He needs to have the overwhelming and death-defying love I thought Orpheus had possessed, to overcome the barrier."

Axel nodded slowly and he turned to Sora with a bright grin; "Isn't that great news! Now, you simply have to find a girlfriend who'd willing to go with you in order to go back!"

Sora frowned at this. Nanashi looked at Sora and was surprised to feel an acidic emotion burning in him. Was he _jealous_? Strangely, it wasn't aimed at Sora but at his prospective girlfriend. Nanashi pondered.

Hades stood up from his chair and held out a hand to his wife who gracefully took it and stood from her chair. "It is late and we shall retire to our chambers. You may spend the night here but I expect to see no hair or sign of you, come next morning."

"Gotcha." Axel acknowledged as he stood up from his chair and prepared to leave. Both Sora and Nanashi also got up and started walking to their room.

* * *

"Oh no!" Sora looked at the single large bed in dismay. He'd forgotten that the accommodation arrangements had somehow been set up to force Sora and Nanashi to share the same bed. Geez! In this large palace, there should be plenty of room for them to sleep in separate rooms! Previously, he wouldn't have complained about the arrangements and happily leap into bed but now...After his new revelation, he wasn't sure whether he could sleep together with Nanashi in the same bed. He glanced over to Nanashi who was already nonchalantly stripping off his top to get ready for bed. He quickly averted his eyes.

Nanashi looked at the single bed with mild amusement and annoyance. he had the feeling that somehow Axel was behind it, as ridiculous as it might be. Then he recalled his act of betrayal and his mood soured for a moment. He pulled the blankets down and climbed onto the bed. Nanashi sank down on the bed into the large pillows with a satisfied sigh. When he didn't feel the bed sinking again, he peeked and saw that Sora wasn't going to sleep on the bed.

"The bed's large enough for both us! It's going to be another long trip back so you'll need plenty of rest. You're just going to get an awful crick in your neck if you sleep like that." Sora was attempting to make himself comfortable on a large chair; wriggling this way and that for a position that didn't strain his muscles. He cringed at Nanashi's irritated statement.

"But..."

"No buts! God, you're being SILLY." Without further ado, Nanashi rose from the bed and stepped over to a panicking Sora and dragged him out of the chair. Without hesitation, he pushed Sora onto the bed and laid down beside him. Sora stiffened as Nanashi reached down to pull the blankets over them.

"Now, SLEEP. I'm damn TIRED." Nanashi sleepily ordered and dropped off to sleep within moments. The lights immediately went out; leaving the two in a moonlit darkness.

"Oh, just what have I gotten myself into...?" Sora whispered to the silent moon. It would be a long time before sleep took him.

* * *

**Notes**

If some of you eagle-eyed readers have already noticed, Hades isn't what you expected of the Kingdom Hearts canon. I had some difficulty deciding on how to portray Hades' appearance as I'm rather against the Disney version that sanitized Hercules' story and got so many facts wrong! Besides, I, personally, couldn't really see how a Disney version could work within the context of this uber -serious situation without downplaying the uber-uber-seriousness of it all. hahaha. I hope you understand and won't flame the hell out of me for this decision but you are welcome to express your objections...POLITELY.

Hades is depicted to sit on a throne of ebony and has a helmet of invisibility in myth. He also has many more symbols of power but I neglected to mention them because they aren't exactly meaningful to the plot.

Persephone's not just Hades' wife. According to myth, she was also the ruler of ghosts and carried into effect the curses of men. If she wasn't pleased, she would send spectres after you. Once, she turned a nymph Minthe that her husband was lusting after into a mint plant. GLEEP. She's one scary b*tch.


	10. All Hallow's Eve 10

**Title: **All Hallow's Eve 10

**Summary** : The gears of destiny are now shifting into high gear.

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Please leave a review if you have anything to say on this story.

* * *

**All Hallow's Eve 10**

Sora was dreaming. The darkness around him was warm and comfortable. He was weightless in it and got the vague sensation that he was moving _somewhere_ in the pitch-black darkness. He looked around; attempting to see into the darkness. The darkness was deep, impenetrable and silent like the shadows beneath his bed when he was very young and afraid of boogie-men that hid in the shadows. However, he was strangely not afraid of the darkness. Just then, a small mote of light flickered into being before his eyes. It glowed gently and radiated warmth over him. The warmth felt like his mother's embrace. It was the final straw. He was _homesick_ and so very _lost_ with no idea of how to return home. He shook with the force of pent-up tears until they ran dry. He wiped his tears away and felt lighter.

_"Keyblade Master, I have been waiting for you."_ A high, crystalline voice emanated from the mote of light; startling Sora. The speck of light expanded and coalesced into the elegant, unfurling lines of an angel's wing and the razor-sharp edges of a sword which he'd only seen twice. The Oathkeeper floated into his hand and fit perfectly.

_"Keyblade Master, your destiny has begun."_

"What destiny?" Sora was slightly befuddled by the fact that the Oathkeeper could speak but figured that if magic existed, then weapons could talk too! The Oathkeeper seemed to read his thoughts and stated with a faint tinge of smugness; _"No, only two of us can speak. You may know of the other, Oblivion but it is not your concern."_ The Keyblade warmed in his hand and its voice was like a clarion in the darkness.

_"Keyblade Master, I have been created solely for the purpose of banishing the darkness. Wield me and conquer the evil that lurks in the shadows of this world."_ The Oathkeeper glowed brighter and brighter until the light eclipsed the darkness and everything went white...

* * *

The next morning, Axel was nowhere to be found in Hades' Palace. However, a shadow passed Nanashi a note written in Axel's hand. It simply said; _"I've gone ahead. I'll be waiting for you at the River Styx. Don't worry, you can now use your teleportation. Methinks that Hades really wants us out as soon as possible. :)"_ Nanashi perused through the note at least three times, determining if Axel had hid any secrets from him in the letter. It was just a simple note. Nanashi knitted his brows in uncertainty and called to Sora who had been strangely out of it ever since he woke up. He kept fiddling with the paopu amulet around his neck and often zoned out; as if he was hearing another voice which Nanashi could not hear. He wondered with anxiety whether it was a side-effect of Hades' aborted attempt to extract Sora's life-force.

"Sora. Hold onto me, we're going to teleport to the River Styx." Sora finally snapped out of his trance and unerringly clasped onto his sleeve. Then, a swirl of magic surrounded them both and they were gone from Hades' Palace.

* * *

As soon as they materialized in front of the gate, Axel greeted them with a wave. Nanashi immediately spotted that he was holding an asphodel flower. He carefully asked; "You went to the Asphodel Meadows?" He wasn't sure whether he could trust his friend anymore; not after what happened yesterday. But at the same time, Axel had gotten them the answers whether he liked it or not. He watched Axel warily as he paced to and fro with the white flower in his hand. At his side, Sora had zoned out again; clutching the paopu amulet in one hand. If Axel chose to attack now, he would be hard-pressed to protect both his and Sora's lives. He moved in front of Sora.

"Yes, I did go to the Asphodel Meadows earlier this morning. I wanted to take a memento with me." Axel replied and he inhaled the fragrance of the asphodel flower.

"Do you know that this flower is sacred to Lady Persephone? It is also the food of the dead and has healing properties. It can also raise the dead to the ranks of gods and heroes. A wonderful plant indeed." Axel smiled. Then he crushed the flower in his hand. Flames spontaneously burst from his hand and devoured the white flower, charring its delicate petals black and reducing it to ashes. Nanashi tensed.

"Too bad I can't eat it. It might as well be the deadly, bitter poison of the aconite plant. Lady Persephone is a fickle goddess indeed." Axel opened his hand and scattered the ashes to the wind. Nanashi and Sora (who had, thankfully, come back to his senses again) watched the lone and somehow burdened figure of Axel against the rising blood-sun. Nanashi didn't have anything to say, not after that strange but somehow meaningful declaration. It was the first time he had seen Axel so vulnerable in his enigmatic honest riddles.

"Let's go back. We have to help Sora go home." Axel broke the moment of silence, reminding them of their original objective. He moved closer to the duo and hesitated for a slight fraction before touching Nanashi's other sleeve. Nanashi looked at his friend, the first person he had met and befriended in his entire life. He nodded and summoned the blue stream of magic to teleport them home.

* * *

The large door before him was once a thing of utter beauty but it now stood as an epitome of decay. Once, it had softly glowed gold and the carvings on it used to dance in their life-like realism. However, with the passing of time and the encroaching of a _malevolent_ presence into the known dimensions, the door had lost its glow and the carvings became frozen, wooden skeletons. DiZ despaired. The only hope of saving the Heart of worlds was to unlock the Door of Twilight. He once could wield the Keyblades and would have unlocked the door if he could but the Keyblades had found another master. All he could do, was to stand guard and wait for the new Keyblade Master in The World That Never Was.

Only Time would tell and time was running out.

* * *

True to Lady Persephone's words, a long and harsh winter had begun. The temperature dropped ever lower and white frost formed on every grass blade and the Sakura Tree was naked in the softly snowing weather. Namine shivered and she rubbed her uncovered arms. Her lips were almost blue and the cold was like sharp knives in her flesh. Padding across the snow in only her white dress, she left no mark on the virgin white snow.

Namine knelt before the stone at the base of the Sakura Tree. She slowly passed her hand over it; erasing the wear and tear of time and weather and revealing freshly engraved initials. She felt faint. She had to leave. Taking a final look at her work, she murmured; "Roxas Turngale...please hurry."

She vanished into the snow just as Kairi came up to the Sakura Tree with a camera in hand for her college art project. She blinked when she saw a slim waif in white disappear. She rubbed her eyes and saw no sign that the person was ever there.

"Was it just a figment of my imagination?" Dismissing it as a play of light reflecting off the snow, Kairi jogged to her favourite place and whipped out the camera to begin photo-taking.

"Eh, the stone looks different today." Indeed it was, there were no moss or dirt covering the stone. It was as good as new. Kairi dropped down to take a closer look at the rock and noticed that there were two initials engraved in it. She curiously traced them with a gloved finger.

"R.T...?"

* * *

"Sora, what's biting you?" Nanashi questioned as he watched Sora bang into the edge of a table for the umpteenth time. Sora still hadn't snapped out of his daze and Axel had gone out to do some errands. Axel had determined earlier that no, it wasn't a side-effect of Hades' aborted attempt. Nanashi could finally breathe in relief. However, it was getting more worrying and amusing as Sora clumsily walked into furniture several times within the space of the last hour. Sora didn't seem to hear his question and subsequently tripped over the edge of the carpet.

***CRASH***

Nanashi smacked his forehead as Sora finally seemed to recollect himself as he lay on the floor, stunned. Nanashi remained seated on the sofa and wryly said; "Welcome back to the waking world, Sora."

"Oh! I didn't realize that I was zoning out again." Sora picked himself up from the floor and dusted himself off. He roughly took off the paopu amulet and threw a dirty look at it. Nanashi was bemused by this action.

"Why are you glaring at the amulet or rather, the Oathkeeper?" Nanashi still remembered that Sora was in possession of the legendary keyblade. It was hard to forget it on the same day when he'd been told he was likely to not have a heart. He winced slightly at the memory. Sora threw his hands up in the air and exclaimed in annoyance,

"This _stupid, annoying, irritating, dumb __**KEYBLADE**_ keeps nattering at me about _destiny this_ and _destiny that_ but I don't even know what the heck it's TALKING ABOUT. It keeps saying that I've got to conquer the evil that dwells in the shadows and hocus-pocus stuff. REALLY. It's so ANNOYING. I bet that the Keyblades were called _legendary_ because they were non-stop chatterboxes!" With a humph, Sora flung the amulet down onto the carpet. Nanashi had to stifle a laugh at Sora's frazzled state. However, what Sora mentioned had him perking up in interest.

"The Oathkeeper spoke to you? I never knew that the Keyblades could speak!" In a flash of light, the paopu amulet disappeared from the floor and reappeared around Sora's neck. Sora groaned in frustration.

"Awwww! Why don't you leave me alone!?!?" The amulet flared briefly and Nanashi could hear a bell chiming faintly. Sora was about to rail at the Keyblade again but apparently Oathkeeper had said something of importance as Sora closed his mouth abruptly and listened. He swung his head up and yelled at Nanashi to duck as the Oathkeeper flashed in his hands.

"DUCK, NANASHI!" Nanashi ducked without hesitation and a gigantic shadowy hand ripped through a dimension hole just where his head used to be. He looked at it with wide-shocked eyes before rolling away from the sofa out of the creature's reach. An aura of magic surrounded him as he stood beside the battle-ready Sora.

"Shit, shit, shit. I don't have any IDEA of how to fight with a weapon!" Sora muttered to Nanashi as the Oathkeeper shook in his nervous grasp. Nanashi's stomach dropped at the news and at the sight of a humongous Heartless tearing the dimension fabric. Darkness rapidly spread from the jagged hole and covered the walls, ceiling, floor and every available surface until they were in another dimension where little light penetrated. The Heartless towered over them both and its yellow eyes looked at them. It heaved a monstrous limb and swung at them in slow-motion. To their horror, their feet had been bound to the floor by shadow tendrils while they were too busy gaping at the sight of the Heartless. They were, oh so in deep trouble!


	11. All Hallow's Eve 11

**Title:** All Hallow's Eve 11

**Rating:** PG

**A/N:** Happy New Year! A double chapter bonus for this special occasion! Please review. :D

* * *

**All Hallow's Eve 11**

A shimmering, translucent blue wall shot up around them just as the colossus's limb smashed into it; electric blue sparks crackling through the surface on impact. The heartless squealed noiselessly. The strain of such strong defensive magic summoned within short notice had Nanashi wincing with the beginnings of a magic-induced migraine. He didn't dare to lower his raised hand and dimly, he could see that Sora finally seemed to know what to do. Perhaps, it was the Oathkeeper giving Sora a crash-course in fighting. He only hoped that Sora would pass with flying colours.

"I can only hold it for about ten minutes at most! You better hurry." He warned Sora as the shadow colossus reared back for another blow. Sora may or not have heard him as the Oathkeeper flashed in his hands and swooped down around their feet to cut the bonds. The tendrils withered away in the bright glow of the Oathkeeper and they could finally move. Sora immediately dashed forward; holding the Keyblade in front of him. His eyes were intensely focused, both on the threat and within, listening to the Oathekeeper that softly thrummed. Sora slipped through the wall, leaving no hole in the defenses behind.

Nanashi quickly wove another spell of Quickening and Regeneration on Sora and turned to focus on eliminating the shadows around them with light spells. Damn, he really wished that Axel was here with his fire chakrams! In the midst of all the chaos, he didn't notice the cross charm pinned to the collar of his shirt intermittently flashing.

* * *

Sora really didn't know what and how he was doing it as he unerringly moved forward; the Oathkeeper in his hands pulling him along. In mental prod from the Keyblade, he instinctively dodged to the side as a large tendril crashed down onto where he used to be. He'd just escaped by a hair as he apprehensively threw a glance at the shadow that was already beginning to move again. The Oathkeeper prompted him;

_"Now's your chance! Climb onto that limb before it's too far from your reach. You can use it to reach the Heartless."_

Sora's eyes bugged out at that the insane command. "Wha-?!? Are you nuts?!? I'm gonna get myself killed!" The Oathkeeper reproachfully stung his hand and it said; _"You don't have much time to waste. You either do it or you die. And what of your companion over there? He cannot defend himself from the Heartless without a Keyblade. It is only a matter of time before he tires and falls to the Heartless."_

At this, Sora glanced behind him to where Nanashi was. He was holding his own behind the protective barrier and he glowed with warm light that dispelled the shadow tendrils around him. But even from the distance, he could see that Nanashi was visibly tiring as the glow faltered. He bit his lip. Then he turned and took a running jump towards the limb. He thought he wouldn't make it at first but a buoyant sensation filled him and he was near-flying in his weightlessness. He landed on the shadow with a muffled thump.

_"Well done, Sora Turngale. Lesson One: Have no fear. I advise that you now begin running for the head"_ An approving thrum rippled through his mind as the Oathkeeper pointed upwards. Sora smiled; it didn't seem so bad now. Adrenaline and excitement was now flowing through his system; replacing the fear in him. He was ready. Sora started running as quick as he could.

Five minutes left to go!

* * *

Nanashi nearly had a heart attack as he saw Sora take a flying leap onto the giant's arm. Was he insane?!? To his relief, Sora landed safely and he had begun running up the Heartless' arm. Maybe Sora had a plan he wasn't aware of. Nanashi shook his head in annoyance. It wasn't the time to be distracted by Sora; he had his own problems to deal with.

The inky black shadows swirled around the dome, seeking an entrance. At times, they solidified into the heartless which clawed ineffectually at the wall with their razor-sharp weapons. They hissed as the sparks flared and fended them off. Light was their weakness and they seeked to eliminate the source of it. The protection was flickering; a sign that the spell was coming to an end.

However, it wasn't just the problem he had to contend with. He wasn't very good at offensive spells and the barrier had already consumed more than half of his power. In all likelyhood, the moment the barrier dropped, he would be defenseless. On the other hand, he could drop the barrier instead, and focus all of his power into offense and risk getting hurt. Which decision to take? To _attack_ or _defend_? The scrabbling of claws against the barrier was shrill; piercing his ears and mind. The cross flared momentarily and a memory formed like a mirage before him.

_"Sometimes, offense is the best defense. You just gotta learn how to make sacrifices." Axel had grinned as his knight cornered Nanashi's king. Though he had lost several of his chessmen to Nanashi, he'd still won. Nanashi hadn't gotten it at that time but now...he __**understood**__._

The barrier glowed white and disappeared in a flash; decimating a fair number of heartless along with it. Taking the magic back from the barrier, Nanashi had a grim smile; not unlike Axel's, as he launched his offensive rally against the swarm of yellow-eyed shadows. He'd be damned if he couldn't take care of his own business.

* * *

It was a bit like riding on a roller-coaster, Sora thought, as he clung onto the Oathkeeper firmly imbedded into the colossus's swinging arm. There were exciting vertiginous moments which had the blood rushing to his head and made him feel slightly dizzy. Despite the risk and the height he was at, it still had him smiling with unfettered glee. The giant's attempts to dislodge him were in vain and only served to increase Sora's desire to win. In a lull, Sora pulled the Oathkeeper free and rapidly leapt further up the steep slope of the Heartless' arm. He was already at least a few meters away from its shoulder.

Just then, a bright burst of light; not unlike a supernova; went off below and startled Sora into nearly falling off the arm. Scrambling for a stable foothold, Sora looked down to where the dome had been in shock.

_Nanashi?!? But the time limit hadn't been reached!_

The Oathkeeper hummed again in his hand; reminding Sora of his original objective. Sora wouldn't listen as he frantically searched for Nanashi below. In a painful sting that was like a mental slap; the Oathkeeper reassured Sora;

_"Have no fear! Your companion is in safe hands. You still must carry out your mission."_ An image of Nanashi slicing through the shadows with his spells appeared before him and he seemed to be enjoying the fight. That smile on his reflection's face eased all his worries in an instant. Tightening his grip on the Keyblade, Sora took the final leap up onto the Heartless' head. He still had a job to finish.

* * *

It had seemed like a good idea but now, as Nanashi struggled to keep up the pace, he was rethinking his impulsive decision. Without Axel by his side, he couldn't keep all of the heartless at bay. In fact, he had already gained a fair number of deep gashes from some that managed to get too close. The onslaught of shadows still continued against his barrage of light and fire spells. He would have to find some other way of defeating the heartless without them re-spawning. It was irritating, troublesome and never-ending! His brow twitched in annoyance as he panted for breath.

He drew back his arm for another offensive spell and pushed it forward...only to get a small spark and little smoke. A moment of shocked-silence. Nanashi looked at the heartless and they looked back. The heartless pounced.

_"Damn! Of all the times to run out of magic..."_ Nanashi beat a tactical retreat to the preoccupied giant's feet as the smaller heartless pursued. The fact that he wasn't collapsing from magic exhaustion as usual; had slipped from his mind.

His back to the giant's feet, Nanashi watched the small heartless swarm towards him like a wave. Wasn't there anything he could do in this dire situation?!? A lone heartless finally got close enough and it leapt towards him; its claws raised for the killing blow. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes for the impact. But there was no impact.

Opening his scrunched eyes, Nanashi saw that a wall of white light was separating the heartless from him. A thread of light was streaming from the wall to his neck. O-of course! The **cross**! In relief, Nanashi unpinned the charm from his collar and lifted it to his eyes. The silver cross was glowing white and felt warm in his hand. He could hear the faint chime of bells.

_"I've been waiting for you to awaken, Twilight Master. Wield me and strike down your enemies!"_ A low bass rolled like a drum in his head and before his astounded eyes, the cross twisted and morphed into a angular, spiky blade which had a devil's wing. It was like a mirror opposite of the Oathkeeper. He noted with faint irony that the devil's wing was the antithesis of what the cross represented. If his gut feeling was correct, Nanashi was holding _Oblivion_. Man, Axel's advice had been really useful...!

Twirling the ominous weapon on his finger, he snapped it into his grip and leapt forward into the fray. Questions would be answered later as for now, he focused on getting out of here _**alive**__._

_"Sora, it looks like we're more similar than we thought..." _

_

* * *

  
_

Cautiously perching himself on the giant's head, Sora had a bird's eye view of the battle-ground and the black space around them. He could vaguely make out a large mosaic of a door and a stylised heart partially concealed by the teeming shadows. Faint anxiety rose again as he watched the small figure of Nanashi defending and attacking stimultaneously against the heartless around him. The Oathkeeper chimed faintly; sensing Sora's anxiety and reminding him of their purpose.

The anxiey ebbed away as he took a deep breath. He raised the Oathkeeper high and it shone with its inner light. Then he swung down with quiet determination and strength. The Oathkeeper sunk into the shadows with surprising ease. At first, there was no sign of it having any effect. However, hairline cracks started to appear at the point of entry and they grew larger, white light spilling from the cracks. The colossus roared in pain and it swung its claws up at its head; trying to rid itself of the source of pain. Sora was calm as the limb moved towards him and at the last moment, the limb simply shattered into fragments that rapidly withered in the white light spilling from within.

In a roar, the Heartless burst into white light and Sora was airborne.

* * *

The masses around him suddenly pitched a high squeal and they stopped attacking. Jittering where they stood, the heartless were fading away in the bright light that flowed from the giant's wounds.

"Sora succeeded..?" Nanashi lowered his guard and turned to watch the wondrous sight of the shadows being banished in the warm light. He was filled with wonder. As the last of the shadows and the heartless disappeared, there was no sign of Sora. Nanashi looked around in panic.

"NAAAANAAAASHIIIIII!!!! WATCH OOOUUUTT!!!!!" A faint but familiar voice cried from above him. He looked upwards and saw Sora plummeting towards him with the Oathkeeper in hand. He waved frantically at Nanashi to move out of the way. Nanashi leapt into action.

He drew on the magic in Oblivion to cast a Slowing spell on Sora's descent and braced himself for the painful impact. He held out his arms. Sora landed heavily and they went crashing to the floor.

"OOF!" "OW!"

Sora was the first to recover. He pushed himself up and shouted at Nanashi; "Why did you do that?!? You would have gotten yourself hurt!" Nanashi groaned and he painfully sat up; rubbing the back of his head. He would be lucky not to get a concussion.

"What? And get yourself killed? I can't be killed because I'm already a spirit." Sora flushed and opened his mouth to protest.

"Well, well, getting a bit frisky now, are we?" Axel's irrepressible voice interrupted. Sora closed his mouth with a click and they both looked in the direction of Axel's voice. They were back in Nanashi's apartment! Sadly, the sofa wasn't in good shape and Sora looked down at their positions. His face went red as an inaudible squeak escaped. What a compromising situation! He was crouched over Nanashi and their faces were in close proximity. His eyes slipped from Nanashi's distracted eyes to his lips and then to the graceful column of his neck. _**Uh-oh**_.

He sprung up and dashed to his room without replying to Axel's jibe. Nanashi sighed wearily; he was only too well aware of what the picture looked like. And, Sora's naivete...

"Axel...it's not what you think..." As he half-heartedly denied Axel's teasings, he was questioning why he felt so _alive_ and _enthralled_ by Sora in close proximity. It didn't help that he'd caught a whiff of a delicious cinnamon scent from Sora's skin just before he moved away like a startled deer. Nanashi felt disturbingly bereft. Just what was happening to him?


	12. All Hallow's Eve 12

**Title:** Interlude: Reminiscence

**Rating:** PG

**A/N: **A double bonus chapter starting from 11 to 12. Enjoy the update and please leave a review! :)

* * *

**Interlude: Reminiscence**

_A long, long time ago, when he was still afraid of the dark; there used to be a large mirror in the attic of the house they lived in. A relic of the previous occupant who must have been incredibly forgetful or wanted nothing to do with it; the mirror was beautiful in the dim, dusty light of the attic. Decorated with stylized embellishments of nameless but graceful creatures, the mirror beckoned with its mysterious, ancient air. Though apprehensive of the shadows that lurked in the attic, he couldn't help but be fascinated by the oddity._

_He stumbled closer in his ungainly, young, body to get a closer look at the mirror. The reflective surface was covered with a thick layer of dust. He wiped it off with the edge of the mirror's tattered protective veil. The silvery surface shone brightly in the sun's dwindling light. It was still as good as new. Squinting against the bright reflection of the light, he was gleeful to see his own image in the mirror._

_As children of his age are wont to do, he amused himself by making silly faces or poses in front of the mirror. When he was feeling creative, he might pretend to imitate some of the people he had met before. He giggled happily as the image followed._

_Before he knew it, the sun had already set and the light shone in from the open hatch door. Exhausted from his self-amusement, he somehow wasn't so afraid of the dark anymore; not when his companion was there with him. His mother called him for dinner and in a childish impulse, he waved goodbye at his playmate in the mirror. The twin smiled back and waved._

_"I'll be back tomorrow!"_

_"I'll look forward to it!" His twin replied from within the mirror. In the dim light, he couldn't see that his reflection had blonde hair instead of brown._

_At dinner, he asked his Mom with wide eyes; "Do I have a twin brother?" His Dad stopped eating; oh yuck, peas!; and his Mom looked at him with a strange expression on her face he'd never seen before. She replied in a level voice;_

_"Oh no, why would you think that?"_

_"Well, I was playing around with this old mirror up in the attic earlier. it was so fun! I'll like to have a brother who's like me so I can have lots of fun with him everyday..." He honestly replied. He played with the peas on his plate, mashing them into a green paste with his fork. He didn't really have many friends in this big neighborhood and he was lonely. Especially since his parents were both working._

_His mother's eyes softened at the sight of her dejected son. She affectionately patted his head and told him; "Don't worry. You'll make new friends whom you play with and have fun all day. It's just a matter of time..." His Dad added; "In the meantime, you can play with that mirror in the attic. It's yours now."_

_He nodded at his parents' words and returned to his plate to finish his meal. He missed the relieved and sad looks that his parents shot at each other._

_A couple of weeks later, he did make new friends and the old mirror in the attic was forgotten. The tattered veil was once again draped over it and it no longer shone in the dim light. The first playmate he'd ever had, vanished like the ethereal morning mist into the depths of his memory._

* * *

The house that Sora Turngale used to live in; was never occupied again. The superstitious folk of this small town had thought it cursed and as a result, it wasn't quite so well-kept like three years ago. Nevertheless, the now eighteen-year old Kairi was not afraid to enter the dilapidated house of her childhood friend. She had been here several times before and she was positive that there was nothing in this house of memories which would harm her.

Holding a file that contained her research efforts on R.T, Kairi stood in the empty living room and slowly turned around; taking in the effects of decay. She closed her eyes, and remembered the happy place this house used to be. The sudden loss of her friend was more like a dull poignant ache now and had her wistful for the halcyon days. She mentally waved away the sentimental memories and began exploring every nook and cranny of the house for any more clues of R.T.

* * *

Ever since the discovery of R.T, she had been seized with an urgent desire to find out _every single thing_ about R.T. It was unexplainable but her instinct was blaring away at her that this faceless stranger was linked to Sora's disappearance. She didn't dare ask Riku and the others to help her with the research for fear of attracting ridicule and anger for rousing unwanted emotions.

So the first thing she did; was to check the census records of the Town in the main library. She hunted through the list of dead people with the initials R.T and doggedly searched out their burial places. It had taken her slightly more than two years but none of them were the target she had in mind.

Next, she paid the funeral parlors in town a visit and asked if they had buried any one with the initials R.T in the Sakura cemetery. She even showed them the photo of the gravestone and a map of its approximate location. She kept getting no results and she grew despondent in her unsuccessful search. Was it going to be a goose chase all for nothing?

Finally, fortunately, at the last funeral parlor on her list; she finally got her answers after three years of searching.

* * *

_"Oh that grave! It was another sad case of a still-born babe. The parents were so distraught by their loss..." An old man with yellowed teeth pointed at the photo with an experienced gleam in his eye. He put on his spectacles and peered closely at the photo._

_"Hmm, I don't recall the initials being there though. The clients had requested that no name or epitaph be put down. This is really sad...the dead should still have a name, hmm, young Miss?"_

_Kairi smiled softly and gently inquired; "May I ask who those parents were? And how long ago did you bury that grave?" The old undertaker scrutinized her through his glasses and gruffly replied;_

_"It's policy not to reveal such details but eh, I feel that you have a deeper and more personal purpose than just mere "research". Is that right?" Kairi nodded slowly._

_"Very well, wait as I go and dig the files up. My memory's not quite so good these days." He shuffled into the back of the tiny office, there were creaking noises of rusty hinges and the rustle of paper. It didn't take him long. He came out with a thick binder dated twenty years back and plonked it on the table. He opened it and a small cloud of dust rose, sending both of them into sneezing fits. The undertaker flipped through the book, murmuring under his breath before he seemed to find what he was looking for. He pointed at the yellowed page triumphantly._

_"Aha! Yes, yes, the clients were the Turngale couple. They had had twins but one of them died in child-birth. I believe that other child disappeared a few years back, right? There was such a big hullaballoo over it too.." Kairi gazed at the document with rapt and stunned eyes; the words of the undertaker going unheard._

_It was shocking to hear that Sora wasn't an only child but somehow it made sense. And who was this unnamed twin sibling of Sora's? Kairi looked up and asked him;_

_"Did they ever tell you what the baby's name was? I think that these initials are supposed to be his name; the "T" for Turngale but the R...?" But she had a reached a dead-end as the old man shook his head._

_"I'm sorry but they never did name the baby. Sad, a dead child with no name...I hope you will be able to find his name, young Miss."_

_"I see. Thank you very much for your time and help!" Kairi gratefully thanked the old man and left the shop in a hurry. She had to get to Sora's home!  
_

* * *

Hmm, no luck on the ground level. She would have to move upstairs but the rickety stairs looked as if they wouldn't be able to support her weight. She eyed them apprehensively. Tenatively, she stepped onto the stairs, keeping to the wall as she slowly walked upstairs. The wooden steps creaked and gave a little, but they didn't give way beneath her weight. Hopping onto the second floor with a sigh of relief, Kairi began exploring the rooms on the upper level.

She entered one of the rooms off the hallway and was startled to find remnants of Sora's belongings in the room. She touched one of the dusty posters still pasted on the wall and her fingers came away with dust. She smiled as she recognized the poster of Sora's idol; Leon Squallhart. Ah, the memories. She gave a cursory inspection around Sora's bedroom. There wasn't anything else other than his belongings. Still smiling nostalgically, she gently closed the door with a soft click.

The rest of the rooms didn't offer anything of interest or importance unlike Sora's bedroom. Kairi sighed and was about to descend the stairs until she spotted something out of the ordinary on the ceiling at the end of the hallway. She moved back down the deserted hallway and stood there. She saw that it was a hatch-door to the attic! She tried to reach for the latch but she was too short. Hmm.

Kairi darted into Sora's bedroom and came out with a thick history textbook that Sora had consigned to history. She placed it on the floor and stepped on it with a giggle. Their crusty history teacher would have been so mad and Sora would have found it hilarious too! She pulled on the latch with difficulty for the hinge had become rusty over the years. She jerked harder and it came open with a sudden pop; causing Kairi to fall from her perch. A ladder fell to the floor with a clang as dust fell down from the dark opening.

She waved the cloud of dust away and she took out a torch-light. Perhaps, she would find something up there. Holding the torch in her mouth, she slowly ascended the ladder into the dark attic. What would she find? Kairi wondered.

* * *

It was very dark and dusty up in the attic. She flicked on the torchlight and looked around the attic. It was mostly bare with the exception of a chest and a covered object. Behind the two items in the attic, Kairi could see a grimy window. She moved towards the window to open it and let in light into the dark attic. Not much light entered through the small opening but it was enough to illuminate the two items. She switched off her torchlight and stepped towards them.

The chest was locked and there was no key to be found. Oh well, she would have to find some way of bringing the chest to a locksmith and get him to open it. She turned to the covered object. On a closer look, she determined that it was a mirror from the shape of it through the tattered cloth. She reached out with hesitant fingers for the curtain and gripped the edge of it.

Kairi didn't pull the curtain away at first. She somehow feared what she would see in the mirror if she were to reveal it. But she had a task to finish. Steeling herself for the consequences, she decisively pulled the tattered curtain away from the mirror. The cloth made a swooshing noise in the air as it fell away from the mirror. She gasped.

* * *

It was beautiful with an other-wordly aspect to it. But where the reflective surface used to be, it was just a big black space. The longer she looked at it, the more it seemed menacing. She gulped and drew her eyes away from the mirror with considerable effort. It was if something was compelling her to keep looking at it and sucking her in. She felt cold. She glanced at the window and was shocked to see that it was already evening. Had so much time already passed?!? She switched on the torchlight and turned to leave the attic. It was getting too dark to see anything.

Something touched her shoulder and Kairi screamed. She turned in a jump to face whatever was behind her; shining her torchlight at it. It was a girl. A small girl in a white dress and blonde hair. She shielded her eyes from the bright light and she asked;

"Can you please not point the light at my eyes?" Kairi shifted the light away from her and warily asked the stranger what she was doing here. Something about her evoked faint memories in the recesses of her mind. The girl smiled and boy, did she look familiar!

"I saw you coming into this old house earlier... I was wondering why you were exploring the house. Looking for something, Miss?" Kairi realized with a jolt that the girl was wearing the same face she saw everyday in a mirror! She uttered a squeak and scrambled for the hatch-door. The girl stopped her before she got too far.

"I have the answers you seek, Kairi. _Remember_." The slight girl with familiar blue eyes looked into her eyes and Kairi was hypnotized. She couldn't move. Something in her mind broke and she was awash in the memories of the past. All of them with the girl in front of her in it. Her knees became boneless and she sat with a thump on the dusty floor. She looked up at the girl, no, _Namine_ with wonder.

"How could I have forgotten? Namine, you were my twin sister! How is it that you are still a child?" Her voice was happy but uncertain at the same time. Namine smiled and answered;

"I'll answer that for another day. I'm glad that you still think of me fondly." Kairi grabbed her hand and held it firmly. She looked at her sister, who suddenly looked child-like in her surprise. She fiercely said;

"Of course! You were and are still my sister even though I once forgot about you. I still had dreams about you even after that incident. Namine, you do know where Sora is, right?"

Namine stood, pulling her hand from Kairi's grasp. She looked at the mirror with its gaping center and told her seriously; "It's not safe to talk here. Can we go to your home?" Kairi glanced at the mirror and agreed.

"Something about that mirror gives me the creeps! Yes, let's go back to _our_ home. Our parents will be happy to see you." Namine looked surprised and she smiled warmly. As they left the house; Kairi thought happily that though she didn't find any answers, she had found something infinitely more precious. For now, answers would have to wait as she reacquainted herself with her long-lost sister on the drive home.


	13. All Hallow's Eve 13

**Title:** All Hallow's Eve 13

**Author:** Ofphenwa

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Kingdom Hearts franchise.

* * *

**Boys, boys will always be boys in the end.**

Sora had locked himself up in his room out of sheer embarassment and mortification. He didn't really know why he had jumped up and fled like his pants were on fire ever since Axel made that remark. Previously, he would have simply laughed it off and ignore Axel's teasings while Nanashi twitched in irritation. Oh god, now he was blushing again! As soon as he thought of his twin, his mind kept lingering on how _soft_ his blonde hair looked, how _smooth_ and _pale_ his skin appeared... Sora abruptly stopped that train of thought and leapt from his bed to pace around the room like some caged animal. Nonono! He couldn't think of him that way! He liked Kairi, didn't he?

He tried to form an image of Kairi in his head. Only a hazy picture of Kairi appeared and her face was blurred. Sora realized with a jolt that he had already begun to forget her face. Try as he might, he just didn't feel the same way towards her anymore. The tongue-twisting shyness, a hot flush running through his body, the blood burning in his cheeks at the mere thought of Kairi weren't there anymore. Instead, he felt more familial towards her; like she was a sister he never had. Sora groaned at this realization and covered his face. He collapsed onto the bed again.

But, but, but. Sora was never one for cowardice. Peeking through his fingers at the ceiling, he tentatively thought of Nanashi, his other-worldly counterpart in this strange new world. It was with some fierce blushing and trepidation as his mind tiptoed past some of the more illicit thoughts; provoked by the recent incident. He was not going to think of Nanashi _that way_ unless he was very dead-sure of his feelings for him. Sora vaguely recalled his mother advising him;

_"Listen to your heart and it will lead you to the right path."_

He carefully examined his feelings for Nanashi. There was awe for his grace and power and gratefulness that he was willing to help him. Those two feelings were easy to decipher. Underneath the hero-worship, Sora admitted that he did feel closer to Nanashi than to anyone else but it didn't necessarily mean he was romantically interested in him. He breathed slowly. And so, what of this strange new feeling that shimmered vibrantly among the miasma of emotions towards Nanashi?

He wasn't ready to admit this feeling. He turned his back on it and closed his eyes tightly. It scared him; the simultaneous strength and gentleness of this emotion which made his former _crush_ for Kairi pale in comparison and weak. Sora couldn't and wouldn't admit that he was in love with Nanashi. It was the first time Sora became a coward.

"Sora? It's lunch time." Nanashi's voice filtered through the door as he knocked in rapid succession on the door. Sora paled. He couldn't face Nanashi right now! Feeling weak and cowardly, Sora mumbled,

"I'm not hungry...I'm really tired from all that fighting earlier. I'm going to take a nap, ok?" There was a pause of silence. Nanashi replied; "Oh, I see. very well, take a nap. It's been a long and busy day for you after all. I'll save some food for you if you get hungry later." The sound of footsteps padding away was heard. It stopped and it ran back to his door again.

"...Sora? Are you alright? You've been acting really strangely recently. You know you can tell me anything." Sora didn't reply as he miserably thought; _"I can't tell you that I just might and am falling in love with you. Please, for the love of god, don't enter!"_ Thankfully, Nanashi didn't open the door as he assumed Sora's silence for the fact that Sora might have fallen asleep.

"Alright. I'll ask you some other time. Sleep well." Nanashi walked away from his room and Sora just felt completely miserable.

_...It sucks to be me._

* * *

Nanashi sat down at the table with a perturbed expression on his face. He picked at the food in front of him; his attention focused elsewhere. Axel finished off his glass of juice with relish and placed the chilled glass back on the table. He observed Nanashi's spacing out for a few moments and saw that he wasn't going to eat.

"What's up? It's not just the recent battle you and Sora got in or the fact you're now the Oblivion's owner, is it?" Axel tapped his fingers on the table and continued, "While you are at it, do you mind if I take your food?" He didn't wait for a reply as he snagged Nanashi's plate and pulled it towards him. Axel started eating the food as Nanashi realized that his food was gone.

"HEY! I was going to eat that!" Nanashi snatched back his plate from Axel's side and shot him a sour look. "What were you saying earlier?" Axel chuckled with a couple of fries in his mouth.

"Got your attention at last. You already told me about what happened earlier but you're still bothered. Are you afraid of what might happen next?" His green eyes watched him carefully like a cat's.

"Umm...yes and no...I don't know really." Nanashi mumbled around a mouthful of food. He didn't really feel so hungry now. He was still reeling a little bit from the news that he was the master of one of the legendary keyblades like Sora; now that things had calmed down a bit. The Oblivion hadn't spoken again since the threat disappeared. He wondered for the first time, whether there was something deeper behind Sora's arrival and their new possessions.

And Sora...he was utterly confused. He had never felt this way before. Nanashi certainly does not feel like blushing or smile goofily like Sora does when he is near him. He hadn't noticed it but somehow along the way, his feelings of mere curiosity and obliged friendliness towards Sora, that happy-go-lucky boy, had morphed into something deeper. It was warm, happy, fulfilled and made him giddy. He just didn't know _what_ it was. Nanashi speared the piece of meat with a bit more strength than necessary. Focus, focus! He mustn't forget the original objective of getting Sora out of here with not a single harmed hair.

He thought of Hades' words and found that he greatly disliked the idea. Excuuuuse me, who was going to be Sora's girlfriend and go back with him to the living world? Nanashi would bet all of his sea-salt ice-cream that none of the spirits would fulfill that criteria. He stabbed another piece of meat with a vengeance; a hot feeling akin to anger flooding through him. It tasted bitter and sour like a lemon-peel in his mouth.

"Uhm, Nanashi? Are you sure you're alright? You're killing that meat which was already dead in the first place." Axel's amused voice snapped Nanashi's train of thought. Nanashi looked up at Axel. He pointed at his plate and Nanashi looked back down. True to Axel's words, the meat was so mutilated beyond recognition that even the heartless would turn their non-existent noses up at it. Nanashi groaned and slapped a hand to his face.

"I think I'm just going nuts."

"No kidding." Axel snagged another french fry off Nanashi's plate and he didn't protest.

* * *

Later, Nanashi decided to see Merlin alone about the Oblivion. He hadn't told Axel about this new development in his carefully edited replay of the previous incident. He still wasn't willing to trust Axel to that extent yet. Still, he could have brought Sora along too but somehow, he didn't want to be too close to him at this point of time. He arrived at Merlin's shop and looked around for any enemies before entering. Knowing that he was in possession of the Keyblade made him nervous.

"Merlin, I need to ask you some questions." He softly called out when he couldn't see Merlin anywhere in the shop. In reply, there was a rustle of cloth and clinking of trinkets as Merlin emerged from his room. He blinked owlishly at Nanashi as he adjusted the spectacles on his nose. He was surprised to see him at this hour.

"It's not the opening hours yet, Nanashi. Has something important cropped up?" Nanashi nodded and took out the cross from his pocket. He concentrated on the symbol like Sora had did and the Oblivion manifested.

"My, my! So you turned out to be the other Keyblade Master after all!" Merlin was excited to see the new keyblade. His fingers fluttered as if they wanted to touch the Oblivion. Nanashi put away the Oblivion and placed the cross back into his pocket.

"Me, Keyblade Master? But the Oblivion called me Twilight Master. Is there any meaning to that?" Merlin hummed at this. He raised his hand as if in realization and disappeared into his room to bring out a book.

"This book contains the copies of Ansem's records. I'll give this to you because I can't fully explain all this. In fact, some of the pertinent texts in this book were coded such that I would not be able to read it. I think only you and Sora will be able to understand." Nanashi took the heavy book from Merlin and opened it to skim through it. The pages were blank! But slowly, black ink was seeping into the pages, forming legible words in an archaic script. Somewhere in his mind, Oblivion stirred into alert being.

_"Bring this to the other Keyblade wielder. You should both read it."_ Oblivion said. Nanashi shut the book and thanked Merlin for his help. He was about to turn and leave but Merlin stopped him. Merlin looked at him kindly and said;

"Do not deny your heart's feelings, Nanashi. I wish you good luck in your future endeavors."

"Um, thanks for the advice, I think? I've got to get going, Merlin." Nanashi was puzzled at Merlin's strange words. Was he becoming senile? Nanashi left the shop without looking back.

* * *

Merlin watched him go. In his experienced eyes, he was gladdened to see Nanashi's soul being healed, no matter how slow the process of filling the gap was.

"Both of them Keyblade Masters? There is something deeper beneath the surface. I can only hope that the two will find happiness."

"Indeed. I only hope that they will hurry." DiZ added as he appeared from thin air into Merlin's shop. He inclined his head to Merlin in acknowledgement. "Thank you for helping, Wizard of the Isles."

Merlin's form shifted and he somehow became larger than life in his blue robes. His face became less haggard and more of a noble's face. His voice was now of a deeper timbre, enriched by the magic that flowed through his being.

"I did not mind helping, Fallen King. I have seen the fabric of this world and countless others become weak and tattered. Creatures of the dark roam at night. Something must be done but we do not have the power." Merlin looked regretful as he said this.

DiZ replied, "I was never a King, Merlin. I have noticed that you feel some measure of affection for that boy, Nanashi. Why is that so?" Merlin smiled wistfully.

"He reminds me of the other King I used to know. But he now rests in Avalon."

"I see. You wish Nanashi would also find happiness like him?"

"Not only him, but his other as well."

"You know that it will not be easy for both of them."

"Yes. But I have faith that they will make it." DiZ's amber eye flickered and the bandages on his face stretched as he smiled. He finally said; "I only wish that I had such faith like you, Merlin." Then, DiZ was gone.

* * *

**Omake**

_Scene #1_

He carefully examined his feelings for Nanashi. There was awe for his grace and power and gratefulness that he was willing to help him. Those two feelings were easy to decipher. Underneath the hero-worship, Sora admitted that he did feel closer to Nanashi than to anyone else but it didn't necessarily mean he was romantically interested in him. He breathed slowly. And so, what of this strange new feeling that shimmered vibrantly among the miasma of emotions towards Nanashi?

"Oh god, am i a NARCISSIST!?!?"

_Scene #2_

He thought of Hades' words and found that he greatly disliked the idea. Excuuuuse me, who was going to be Sora's girlfriend and go back with him to the living world? Nanashi would bet all of his sea-salt ice-cream that none of the spirits would fulfill that criteria.

"No way in Jose! He's MINE, BITCHES!" Nanashi nearly broke the plate in his outburst and some of the food went flying. Some of it smacked Axel in the face. He calmly wiped it away and asked Nanashi;

"Who's yours? And what's Jose?"

"Erm."

_Chapter 7_

Riku was stunned by the sudden outburst from Kairi. Then he became angry. "You don't know anything! I was the one with Sora that night. I should have stuck closer to him and made sure he didn't get lost! We made another bet to see who could reach this damned tree first! I regret that." He slammed his hand against the trunk of the sakura tree. There was a tremor in the tree and a flaw blew through the leaves of the tree; creating a whistling sound. Kairi wouldn't take anymore of Riku's stupidity. She stood up and in a few quick strides, she got to Riku and kneed him in the balls. Riku went down with a mufffled shout as he clutched at his groin.

"CUT CUT CUT! You weren't supposed to do that! You were supposed to slap him!" The director shouted. Kairi looked confused and said; "But, the script said I was supposed to do this."

"What! Give me that!" True enough, it was stated that Kairi was supposed to knee Riku in the groin. The director shouted again;

"WHO DID THIS!?!?" Roxas alias Nanashi snickered. Serves the bastard right!

Riku whimpered.


	14. All Hallow's Eve 14

**Title:** Ansem's Notes

**Author:** Ofphenwa

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

**Note:** Enjoy the new update. :)

* * *

**All Hallow's Eve 14: Ansem's Notes**

Sora shuffled out of his bedroom, his stomach rumbling in hunger. He still felt miserable at his revelation but was cheered to see a plate of food waiting for him on the table. He sat down and took a tentative bite of the food. It was still warm and delicious; evidence of a stasis spell cast by Nanashi. Unbidden, a warm emotion curled in his body at Nanashi's thoughtfulness. He slowly savoured the meal, his mood slowly improving as he did so. By the end of the meal, Sora was already feeling much better and more content with himself. Somehow, it was not so hard to accept that he was well and truly in love with Nanashi, his other half. Was it the magic in the meal that affected him so? But he didn't care about that anymore...

_I'm really in love with Nanashi...  
_

The door clicked open and Nanashi came in with a thick tome under his arm. He paused when he saw Sora at the table with an empty plate in front of him. Relieved to see Sora well, he enquired about the meal;

"Was the food good?" Nanashi didn't expect to see a brilliant, warm smile that was somehow different from the other smiles Sora had given in the past. He felt a funny tingle in his chest.

"Yup, the food was great! Thank you." Sora's heart beat faster at the sight of Nanashi and his words had him melting with joy. Oh great, he was getting as bad as the heroines in the trashy romance novels Kairi secretly liked to read. (He'd caught her at it once and gagged when he read the saccharine plot.) He desperately hoped that Nanashi wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

"I'm glad to see that you're feeling better." Nanashi smiled and Sora resisted the urge to swoon. _No! He wasn't a maiden, dammnit!_ He clapped his hands to his red cheeks. Nanashi quirked an eyebrow at Sora's unusual behaviour before dismissing it as one of Sora's many, many eccentricities. He placed the heavy tome on the table with a heave and spread it open.

"Sora, Merlin gave this book to me. It might be able to tell us more about the Keyblades we wield and their purpose. _This_ here told me that we had to read it together." Nanashi tapped the silver cross hanging around his neck with a wry smile.

"I think I was lucky to get the Keyblade which isn't so inclined to speak every other minute." Sora sputtered with envy. He directed his grumbling to the paopu amulet dangling from his wrist as he got up from his seat and went over to Nanashi's side to read the book. Their arms brushed together, and Sora's ears pinked ever so slightly. Together, they read the ancient script.

* * *

I am King Ansem, the ruler of this place known as Balamb Garden. It is the center of crossroads which has allowed me the unique opportunity to discover other worlds beyond our imagination. For example, there was world which had a musical language wholly different from ours and their culture was so strange that it was beautiful. They even had dragons! As a scholarly man, I delighted in the many opportunities to learn more aboout other universes and their ways...

In order to travel from one world to the next, the adventurer could make use of the mysterious pathways connecting the worlds. Not much is known about the workings of these magical routes but few have ever questioned it as they merrily travel to and fro; always passing through this town and bestowing delightful stories of their travels on the citizens. I desired to learn more about how these passage ways worked.

I once met a very interesting guy with flame-red hair and green eyes. He was in search of something that was of great importance to him. His quest had taken him to many, many worlds. His silver tongue and charming ways made him excellent company for drinking and story-telling. Why, he charmed the very knickers off the stern librarian, Quistis Trepe. I had never seen her blush so prettily. Over the years, he never once faltered in his quest and he never aged unlike the other spirits.

Curious, I questioned this oddity. The stranger sadly smiled and said these words that stuck in my memory;

_"I'm searching for the Heart of Worlds...to find my heart."  
_

**The Heart of Worlds.** I felt shivers run through my being. What on earth could it be? I had never once heard of it but the name had a deep mystic power unto its own. I never saw the stranger again. Ah, how I miss his conversation and wondrous tales. I have to add that the ladies of Balamb Garden were most upset to learn about his disappearance. I wish him all the best in his endeavours.

Since then, I have been gripped by a feverish desire to know more about the Heart of Worlds. My instinct told me that the mysterious connections between worlds were linked to the Heart of Worlds. It must be a place! A place of _great_ untold mystery and power. How would we access it? I decided then, that I would go on a journey to discover more about these pathways and the way to the Heart of Worlds.

Hence, I journeyed through space and time; seeing with my own eyes the wonderful sights I once knew of only in stories. It was a wonderful and eye-opening experience. However, there were also terrible and tragic worlds where nothing could be done to save them. I am growing weary of this lonely quest, fruitlessly chasing after rumours and old wives' tales. How did the stranger ever endure it?

I was almost at the end of my tether when at last, I glimpsed the most beautiful door I would ever see in my entire life. It shimmered and glowed luminously like a glorious dream in the darkest night of the empty void I travelled in. I knew then, in my heart, that this was the door to the Heart of Worlds.

Rejuvenated by the sight, I renewed my quest and had the fortune to meet a king who knew precisely what I was searching for. King Mickey Mouse is not a human but a mouse. However, do not let that deceive you for he is wiser than most, including myself. I was filled with joy to meet someone who would be able to answer my questions. This is what I learnt:

The Heart of Worlds is the center of worlds and is essentially the Heart that keeps the worlds alive. The true _Paradaise_ where all souls finally find rest. Many call it by several names; Heaven, Avalon, and what not but it still remains the same. The pathways that connect the worlds together are simply known as "Doorways" for they are accessed through doors. King Mickey was kind enough to show his own Keyblade, a special tool that can be used to open or lock these "Doors" at will. Hmm, I wonder if it's possible to forge a Keyblade.

King Mickey warned me about the dangers of abusing the power of the Keyblade and unlocking the door to the Heart of Worlds for it would disrupt the balance of the worlds. King Mickey, normally a jovial man, had been uncharacteristically serious and even pessimistic even as he spoke of the implications. I took heed but I was still determined to make my own Keyblades so I could obtain the same power as King Mickey. I hated having to conceal my plans from the kind King who had become my friend so I bade him farewell.

_Adieu revoir_, my cherished friend.

My thirst for knowledge sated, I returned to Balamb Garden and retired to my sanctuary to begin compiling the knowledge I had discovered and find a way of making the Keyblades. With them, we would no longer have to travel through the long, winding, perilous paths of the Doorways and instead conveniently unlock any door to the desired location and enter it at will.

...I've finally succeeded but at a great cost. It took me the better part of three years to find the appropriate materials which are listed in the appendix. It took me another three years of trial and error before finally settling on the best forging method. Another three years to construct the Keyblades. At this point, I only had enough for two Keyblades. The beautiful forms of the Keyblades lay before me on the anvils, inert. They were still not complete...the remaining ingredient was my own power.

I concentrated all my magic, strength and feelings of my heart into the Keyblades before me and I greatly underestimated the sheer amount they required. In the process of imbuing the Keyblades with the power of the Heart, I lost my own heart. It was excruciating and there were moments where I could feel my identity fading; a piece of self gone forever. It was a miracle I managed to retain my memories and identity but I had lost a very significant part of myself; my heart and emotions. In effect, I had become a "Nobody". I was hollow from within; I wondered if the stranger from so long ago had felt this way when he lost his Heart. Now I see why Mickey was so reluctant to show me his Keyblade...but it's not the time for regrets.

With the two Keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, I opened the first door I saw, keeping in mind the door to the Hearts of Worlds. It opened to an empty void and I was not afraid to step over the threshold; I simply couldn't feel afraid. It was almost frightening, the way the black emptiness oppressively pressed down onto you. Below my feet, there were beautiful stained-glass mosaics which I was almost tempted to stop and examine but all in good time. I slowly walked across the wide expanse of stained glass to the Door.

There it stood in all its glory. At a closer distance, i was able to make out the intricate carvings that cavorted on the wood with powerful magic coursing through the grain. Touching it, I could almost feel glad that it had all been worth the hardship to see the undescribable beauty and magic of the Door to the Hearts of Worlds. At this moment, I wished that I could feel regret for the flame-haired stranger who was probably still wandering out there, searching tirelessy for the very Door I stood in front of.

Remembering King Mickey's words, I did not open the Door and instead went back the same way I came to this sacred place. I agreed with King Mickey that the Door should remain locked for the safety of worlds. I've decided to keep the Keyblades and my research notes safely away from prying eyes so no one can reach the Door and unlock it. Not just for them but also to remove the temptation to unlock the Door...now that I've seen the Door and may succumb to the sheer desire to know what's behind it.

NO! Something's wrong! I felt the pained vibrations that rippled through the fabric of the worlds. To my horror, I knew that someone had _opened_ the Door! I frantically ransacked my room for the research notes and Keyblades. I was relieved to see that the Keyblades were still safe and sound but not for long. My momentary relief turned into icy fear when I realized that the notes had been _stolen_. How had the robber known about its location and had the power to break past the powerful wards around the place? I didn't bother trying to find out as I grabbed the Keyblades and opened the pathway to the Door.

Despite my arthritic knees, I quickly ran over the stained glass floor to the Door. I wasn't surprised to see King Mickey standing in front of it, with an indescribable expression on his face. If I had the capability to do so, I would have felt horror and guilt of immeasurable depth consuming me at the sight of the utterly wrecked Door. The beautiful glow was gone and the beautiful carvings had decayed, as if bored into by vile termites.

I fell to my knees at the sight and didn't know what and how to say anything to King Mickey clutching his Keyblade. He merely sighed and said,

"I will go into the Hearts of Worlds and attempt to correct the damage. It's not your fault, Ansem, that much I can see. But I will need your help."

With those brave words, the dimunitive King hefted the Keyblade and walked with his head and tail high into the gaping void through the Door. The Door swung shut behind him. It would not be able to open again any time soon despite my Keyblades. I was...humbled by this mouse, no, a _man_ who was so much more worthy of being a King than I was.

Ashamed of my folly, I disappeared from Balamb Garden with the two Keyblades and continued to stand guard over the Door. At other times, I would wander around the worlds to eliminate the new _evil_ that sprang from the shadows and consumed the Hearts of people and generating like hellspawn. Occasionally, there would be a few strong hearts that were capable of retaining their identities though they would lose all their memories - Nobodies like myself.

Try as I might, I still did not know who the culprit was and his motives for accessing the Heart of Worlds. I initially suspected the red-haired traveler but he could not have done it because he had no Heart to begin with. He would not have been capable of forging the Keyblade. I was back to square one. But this I knew, the Keyblades would be able to detect the presence of the third Keyblade that was somewhere out there in the hands of evil.

It was imperceptible at first, but gradually, the Keyblades were losing their responsiveness to my touch. They no longer fitted in my grasp and I could not use them to fight against the Heartless anymore. Puzzled, I consulted a seer who prophesied;

_When the two worlds of the Living and Dead meet,__  
__ Two souls are born from one.__  
__ They will wield the power of the Dawn and Twilight.__  
__ By the bleeding Tree, they shall meet.__  
__ At World's End, they shall be split in twain__  
__ Lest the Jester shows his hand.__  
__ At World's End, Dawn and Twilight shall unite To form the new Day.__  
__ The bleeding Tree shall drop its flowers__  
__ And the Maiden shall bring them home._

_  
_ From what I could understand, the reason why the Keyblades no longer responded to me was that they were waiting for the new Keyblade Masters. Thus, I transformed them into two amulets, the Oathkeeper into a paopu fruit and Oblivion into a silver cross. I passed the Oathkeeper to an old friend, a powerful wizard by the name of Mryddin for safe-keeping while I kept Oblivion. All I could do for now, was to wait for the prophecy to come true...

_** King Ansem**_


	15. All Hallow's Eve 15

**Title:** Breakdown

**Author:** Ofphenwa

**Summary:** A new entity reveals itself.

* * *

All Hallow's Eve : Breakdown

After Ansem's long monologue, the rest of the book contained scientific notes and arcane runes which did not make sense to Sora. Similarly for Nanashi, he found the records too complex for his current level of understanding. However, from what he could glean, he was amazed by the sheer amount of work and tenacity Ansem had invested into the Keyblades at the risk of his own life. Secretly, Nanashi also felt better knowing that the former ruler of this town was also a Nobody like himself.

As Nanashi flipped through the tome, Sora was beginning to feel bored. He'd never really been a book person. Casting a brief glance at his twin, Sora batted down an instinctive urge to say _something_. From his previous experience with Kairi, Sora knew that if he spoke now, he would end up spilling the beans on his new feelings for Nanashi. He winced at the thought of Nanashi's likely rejection.

...Ok, he was starting to think like a girl already. It wasn't the appropriate time to muse over your new romantic interest. Sora's mind drifted back to the Keyblades and his original goal of going home. Just great, he now not only had to deal with a new love interest but the job of saving two worlds, more even! He was only 15 going on 16, for goodness sake! Hysterical laughter suddenly burst out of him to Nanashi's shock;

"..hahahahAHAHAHAHAHA...!! Oh that's damn GREAT, now I'm a Keyblade Master with the job of having to save the world. After that, what next?!? I'm not going to be able to return home at this rate." Nanashi was watching him with concerned eyes.

"Sora? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly FINE. The world as I knew it has been turned on its head again. I didn't ASK to come here nor did I WANT the Oathkeeper! Just...fuck it all." Sora swore angrily. He was tired of being Life's bitch. He tore the Oathkeeper off his neck and held it out to Nanashi.

"All I want, is to just go home, back to my family and friends and return to _normal_. Is that too much to ask for?", Sora said beseechingly, searching his twin's eyes for understanding. He only saw shock and confusion. He looked away and dropped the Oathkeeper onto the floor. Before the Oathkeeper even landed, Sora was already out of the apartment.

"WAIT!" Nanashi's shout came too late. Biting his lower lip with confused anxiety over Sora's sudden breakdown, Nanashi realised that the protection and disguise spells on Sora were nearing their expiration. He had to find Sora quickly before the others sniffed him out. When he found Sora, he was going to find exactly what was troubling Sora so much that he'd reacted out of proportion. Belatedly, Nanashi thought in the deepest parts of his mind, _"If I were in his place, I probably would do the same as well."_

Without further ado, Nanashi ran out of the apartment after Sora with the Oathkeeper in hand. He did not see the dark-cloaked stranger watching them from the roof. The stranger observed Nanashi a little longer before he raised his hand in front of him to open a dark portal. Strange silvery forms flowed out of the purple and black portal and floated in the air before him at attention. A silent command was relayed telepathically and at the snap of his fingers, the _Dusks_ and the stranger were gone.

Sora just kept on running, his feet thumping hard on the cobblestones in a regular rhythm. He had no particular destination in mind as he lost himself through the sensation of movement and wind. Running had always been his favourite way of relieving stress. He continued running blindly until his stamina finally gave out.

Wheezing and leaning forward to place his hands on his knees, Sora finally took the opportunity to look around. He was back at the Sakura Tree without even knowing it. Wiping away the sweat from his forehead, Sora staggered forward to lean against the rough bark of the Sakura Tree. The late afternoon breeze was blowing again as usual; scattering the white petals onto Sora. For a while, Sora gazed upwards at the beautiful sight; letting it soothe his fears and burning anger.

"...I'm scared, Ms. Sakura. You don't mind me calling you a she, do you? What should I do with this mess?"

He closed his eyes and pressed his palm and forehead against the wood. He wasn't expecting an answering throb from the tree. It reverberated deeply from within the tree and spread through the points of contact to Sora. It was like a heartbeat.

"Oh wow, you're really alive! That's cool." Sora was amazed by the sentient Sakura Tree. Though it couldn't respond verbally, Sora felt he could almost understand it through the language of the rustling of leaves and flowers and the strong pulse of the tree trunk. The wind suddenly picked up, causing the branches to rattle fiercely. White petals became a veritable shower around him as the calm pulse turned panicked beneath his palm.

Sora only had a moment to understand the message before he rolled to the side to avoid a sinous silvery form lunging at his previous location. He instinctively reached for the Oathkeeper and stopped short as he remembered that he had left the Keyblade with Nanashi.

_ "Of all the times to be without the Keyblade, they had to attack now?!? What horrid timing!" _Sora thought as he quickly got to his feet from the ground. He eyed the strange enemies before him - silver in colour and vaguely humanoid with a symbol emblazoned on their heads. They were definitely not the Heartless. He kept his back to the Sakura Tree which was now in a protective fury. Its branches broke off and hurled themselves toward the silvery shapes which elegantly dodged and moved closer to Sora.

White petals surrounded Sora and another wave of petals rushed at the enemies; distracting and holding them at bay as Sora frantically tried to figure out a way to escape. A female voice spoke in his head;

_  
"Sora, climb up the tree! I'll protect you until Nanashi comes._"

Without protest, Sora began to climb; knowing instinctively that it was the Sakura Tree's voice. He silently thanked the tree. One of the Silvers (an appropriate name he'd come up with), came dangerously close to knocking him off the tree but was deterred by a large branch swatting it away. Sora curled up into a ball to protect himself amid the tempest that roared around him. He really regretted his reckless run from Nanashi's place without any protection.

* * *

Nanashi had just dashed round the corner into the City Square to a sight that filled him with horror. What used to be a festive bazzar was now a warzone. Eyes darting everywhere, Nanashi saw the helpless denizens of Twilight Town being attacked ferociously by strange silvery forms. Fearful and pained screams jarred his ears as the burning smoke and scent of blood filled his nose. One of them slashed through a pillar that supported the roof of the shop; its arm transformed into a razor sharp blade. The roof swayed precariously and in the midst of the mayhem, a young kitsune child stumbled and fell underneath the collapsing roof. Nanashi flung himself forward, grabbing her and rolling away from the resounding crash of wood and canvas.

"Are you ok?!?"

The young kitsune nodded frantically, tears streaking her whiskered cheeks as her ears flattened fearfully against her hair. Within the next moment, her eyes lit up as she caught sight of her mother behind Nanashi's protective body.

"Okaa-san!" She cried out with joy.

"Yuki!" The tearful, relieved voice of another kitsune chimed as Yuki's mother swept her up into a tight embrace. Nanashi smiled at the sight.

"Madam, I suggest that you get out of here as quickly as you can! It's too dangerous."

"Yes! Thank you so much!" The mother breathlessly thanked him as she ran away from the City Square with Yuki safely in her arms.

Nanashi returned his attention to the scene before him and narrowed his eyes. The silvery forms weren't Heartless and Sora was missing. Just then, a tingle was felt in his magic; signalling the expiration of Sora's wards and protection. _Dammnit!_

Feeling an icy rage settle over him, Nanashi silently summoned the Oblivion. Just as the weight of the Keyblade barely settled in his palm, he was already moving toward one of the creatures. He wasn't whether it would work on them like they did on the Heartless but no matter what, he had to reach Sora!

The cloaked figure stood on the top of the roof-arch of the tallest building in the City Square, looking down at the mayhem. He could see the whirling black dervish in the center of the City Square that scattered the silver forms and blasted them back into their shadowy origins. To his interest, he could feel the powerful presence of one of the Keyblades in the young warrior's possession. He made to reveal his weapon and join the skirmish to test the strength of the keyblade wielder...when a voice spoke out from behind him,

"Hold it. Just what are you doing here?"

"Axel. It's so nice to see you alive and well after so long. I still haven't forgotten the burn you gave me."

The stranger removed his hood as he turned to face the newcomer, revealing an handsome face that was marred by a scar on his left cheek. His unruly pink hair helped to cover the blemish. His blue eyes were cold like ice as he watched Axel.

"Marluxia, you're like an irritating weed that won't die." Axel rolled his eyes and summoned his chakrams in a burst of fire.

"Don't call me a weed!" Marluxia snarled, his green and pink scythe appearing in his hands.

Axel laughed, "Oh right, right. You absolutely detest weeds, you being the flower lover, _Graceful Assassin_." With a twirl of his chakrams, Axel moved into an offensive stance, growling dangerously,

"But no really, the Organization XIII's been dormant for ages. So what are you doing here in Twilight Town with all these _Dusks_?"

In response, Marluxia swung his scythe at Axel, releasing an energy wave that ripped through the space between them.

Amid the melee of flickering silver and colourful bursts of magic, Nanashi finally saw an opening and charged towards it. But the creatures were quick to block off the opening, much to his annoyance. The Oathkeeper, disguised as a paopu fruit, pulsed around his neck, sending an image into his mind's eye. Nanashi put on a burst of speed, and jammed Oblivion down into the ground before the silvery enemies and launched himself into air over them.

As he contorted himself into a ball, Nanashi lashed out with the most powerful fire spell in his possession.

_ Firaga!_

Finally landing on the pavement behind the barrier of writhing enemies that was now lit in a conflagration of powerful flames, Nanashi ran toward the Sakura Tree where the Oath-Keeper had said Sora would be.

_Please, please, please be safe, Sora!_


End file.
